The Matryoshka doll is a real doll, a child’s toy but the
name ‘Matryoshka’ wasn’t chosen out of
the blue.
‘Matryoshka’
is said to be a derivative of ‘Matryona’ (or more affectionately Matryosha or Matryoshenka),
popular female names amongst Russian country
folk for generations.
Matryoshka came to be
associated with the idea of fertility
and motherhood (the dolls are almost egg-shaped ).
The outside
mother doll contains her child within and each daughter inside becomes herself
the mother of a child within.Thus, the matryoshka dolls were originally symbols
of fertility and motherhood and initially associated with the image of a
healthy and portly mother of a large peasant family. Often, nested within the
outer mother doll is an entire family of males and females with a tiny baby as
the smallest doll.
A doll which
represents an old woman is often called a ‘baboushka’ or ‘babushka’
which means ‘cute or sweet old woman’ and that which represents an old
man a ‘dedoushka’ or ‘dedushka’, ‘sweet old man’.
Classic Matryoshka design.
The clothing for the mother dolls includes an apron,
scarf and shirt, all brightly colored, and a sarafan, a long jumper dress worn by
peasant girls and women in the central and northern part
Matryoshka dolls aren't just women !