Home View 1

Reference URL

Add tags

Comment

Rate

To link to the entire object, paste this link in email, IM or document

To embed the entire object, paste this HTML in website

To link to this page, paste this link in email, IM or document

To embed this page, paste this HTML in website

President George Bush and family nesting dolls

View 1

1 of 1

View Description

Download

small (250x250 max)

medium (500x500 max)

large ( > 500x500)

Full Resolution

This page

All

Subset

Loading content ...

you wish to report:

Your comment:

Your Name:

Submit

Cancel

...

Rating
Title	President George Bush and family nesting dolls
Subject	Bush, George, 1924- Nesting dolls Russia Russia -- Social life and customs
Description	The art form of Matreshkas (often spelled Matroyshkas) is more than 100 years old. Matreshkas are commonly referred to as nesting dolls because each smallest doll stacks into a larger one. According to legend, the first nesting dolls were made by a Russian monk in Japan at the end of the 19th century. Soon after, they were brought to Russia and made at the Children's Education Workshop in Moscow. Today, there are many subjects for nesting dolls besides the traditional mother figure. For instance, this nesting doll, made in the late 1980's, represents President George Bush, his wife Barbara, the White House, Statue of Liberty, the Bush's dog Millie, and good old American Coca-Cola. Made in Russia when it was still the Soviet Union, this was a Russian artist's view of what symbolized America and the presidency. Political figures continue to be a popular subject for nesting toys. The Children's Education Workshop in Moscow closed in 1890, but the tradition of Matreshka-making was continued at a workshop in the town of Sergiev Posad. Since then, the art form has flourished throughout Russia. The early dolls were modeled after peasant mothers with their children nesting inside. "Matre" is latin for the word "mother" so that's how the name Matreshka originated. Even today, these dolls continue to represent motherhood and fertility. Matreskas are predominantly made from lime and birch wood because they are stable, keep their shape well, and resist moisture. The dolls are turned on a hand lathe by expert doll makers. No measurements are taken to determine each doll's size. The craftsman relies on his expertise, making the smallest doll first, then the next largest, and so on. The pieces are then cleaned and sealed with corn or potato paste to create a smooth surface. The doll is then polished with sand paper, sketched on, painted, and finally lacquered with several coats to produce the traditional shiny surface.
Photographer	Kaveney, Wendy
Identifier	2000.19.30.1-.6
Collection	Artifacts at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis
Rights	This file is licensed under a CC BY-SA 3.0 license by The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis.

Title	View 1
Photographer	Kaveney, Wendy
Collection	Artifacts at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis
Rights	This file is licensed under a CC BY-SA 3.0 license by The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis.

Find results with:

Searching collections:

Home View 1

President George Bush and family nesting dolls

Object Description

Description

Tags

Comments

President George Bush and family nesting dolls

President George Bush and family nesting dolls

	All
	Pages Enter page numbers or page ranges separated by commas. For example: 1,3,5-12