$795.00

(Special Order)

Number of dolls: 7
Artist: Fedotova
School: Simbirsk
Size: 8in

A true masterpiece of Russian artwork, this set of Matryoshka nesting dolls features one of the most popular Russian winter tales, the Snow Maiden.

A daughter of Grandfather Frost and Spring Beauty, the lovely girl Snegurochka (the Snow Maiden) in the image of the first Matryoshka nesting doll yearns for the companionship of real people. Her parents agree to let her be adopted by the old Bobyl-Bakula and his wife, pictured in the next Matryoshka nesting doll.

Enchanted by the splendid songs of Lel, Snow Maiden is portrayed looking very upset in the third Matryoshka nesting doll, when Lel went off with other young girls leaving her alone. Snow Maiden wished for the first time in her life to have the ability to love someone. Her mother, Spring Beauty, took a pity on her and Snow Maiden was able to fall in love. But as soon as she did so, her heart warmed up and she melted.

The artist has chosen the most lavish shades of blue to make these Matryoshka nesting dolls convey the vivid colors of winter: from celeste eyes of each Matryoshka, the azure of Snow Maiden dress to the vibrant cobalt of the nesting dolls' garments with the sheer veil atop the fabulous sapphire kerchief – the air filled with ice and frost is breezing from every Matryoshka nesting doll. This unique effect of the veil translucency is achieved by the exquisite painting technique and fine lacquer finish applied on this set of Matryoshka nesting dolls.

The SnowMaiden winter tale represented by these Matryoshka nesting dolls is a motive used by the famous Russian composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov to write an opera of the same name.