Elements from Asian and American Indian myth combine with Russian craftsmanship to bring you a nesting doll of epic scope (even if only 3” tall). The heavens rest upon the backs of elephants, standing on the turtle that holds up the whole universe. What supports that turtle? Open the shell to find a smaller turtle. Some believe the pile of turtles continues indefinitely. Beautiful! A great gift for animal lovers.

Production Techniques: Hand Painting. This doll was carved in the Upper Volga region, then delivered to a workshop in St. Petersburg , Russia . The artists first hand paint the background, then apply various detailed elements, such as faces, which we print on a very thin vinyl adhesive. Such elements are reproduced original works of art we make specifically for nesting doll design. It is the artist’s magic brush that blends the two forms of artwork together into a unified piece. Finally they baptize each doll in multiple layers of non-toxic water-based lacquer to make a marvelous matryoshka that will delight children and collectors. The bottom of the largest doll gets stamped with the “Made in Russia ” mark of quality, initialed by the artist, and dated like a true collectible. We can only hope you will give it a good home.