The first set of dolls was made of linden wood, and
painted in subtle earth tones by Maliutin himself, the dolls were dubbed,
"Matryoshka." The popular female name of the time Matryona, which was
derived from the Latin root "mater" or mother, was the inspiration
for the dolls title. It was a fitting name for a round motherly figure wearing
a sarafijin and an apron from which other dolls emerged.
Inside the largest doll were a set of 7 others, six girls and a boy all
carrying symbols of Russian peasantry such as scythes, hens, or bowls. The
female dolls all wore babushkas, or kerchiefs on their head, and the smallest
doll was a baby wearing a diaper. The dolls were all decorated in a way which
formed themes still found on many nesting dolls today. This set of pioneering
matryoshki are still on display at the Museum of Toys in Zagorsk. (Source)
Let’s continue -
Symbolism
of the Matryoshka Dolls
