Hand-Painted Russian Nesting Dolls, Matryoshka

Matryoshka dolls are a set of wooden dolls of decreasing size placed one inside another. The word "matryoshka" is a common shortening of the old Russian name Matryona, which has roots in the Latin word for "mother". The dolls are a symbol of the mother's role as the protector and caretaker of the family. The largest doll represents the mother, and the dolls nested within her represent her children and extended family. The first matryoshka doll was created in 1890 and was painted to resemble a traditional Russian peasant woman.