While the modern nesting doll is most popularly
associated with Russia (Matryoshka dolls), the first nesting dolls actually
came from China. The Chinese crafted nesting boxes that date back to the
Song Dynasty, around 1000 AD. These boxes were both functional and
decorative.
During the 1700s they applied this concept to a set of dolls and the first
nesting doll was born.
Chinese nesting dolls are similar to the nesting dolls that are common
today. In the original Chinese sets the smallest doll held a single grain
of rice.
Soon after nesting dolls originated in China they made their way to
Japan. Japanese wooden dolls were made to look like the Seven Lucky Gods
from Japanese mythology. The outer most doll was Fukurokuju
the Japanese god of happiness and longevity. He had an abnormally long
forehead, like in the doll below.
It seems logical that the nesting doll concept would take off in Japan as
they already had a tradition in similar dolls. Like nesting dolls,
kokeshi dolls and daruma dolls do not have arms or legs. Both kokeshi and
daruma dolls are hand painted with decorative bodies and simplified facial
features.
Further history on these nesting dolls can be found
here.
Let’s continue – The
History of the First Russian Dolls
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