Vintage Russian Matryoshka Nesting Doll Set of 5 with Expressive Folk Character Faces and Striped Costumes

Full of personality, warmth, and old-world charm — this vintage Russian matryoshka nesting doll set of 5 is a wonderfully characterful early set with a rustic, hand-painted quality that sets it apart from later more polished examples. Each doll has a completely distinct and expressive face, making this feel less like a matched set and more like a little family of folk characters.

The largest doll wears a red headscarf and a green and white apron dress with a mischievous, gap-toothed grin and rosy cheeks — a classic babushka with real personality. The second doll is dressed in a bold yellow and multicolor striped skirt with a green headscarf and a knowing smile. The third doll wears a green and white apron with a red headscarf. The fourth doll is a sweet blonde girl in a black bodice and blue floral dress. The fifth and smallest solid figure is a tiny baby or infant in white with a pink face and a little tuft of white hair — utterly endearing.

The reverse of each doll shows bold vertical striped folk costume backs in red, green, yellow, and teal — bright and graphic. The paint has the characteristic slight roughness and warmth of early hand-painted Russian folk production.

• Vintage Russian matryoshka nesting doll set of 5
• All 5 pieces nest perfectly
• Largest doll approximately 5" tall
• Five distinct expressive folk character faces
• Babushka in red headscarf, yellow-striped babushka, green-scarfed figure, blonde girl in floral dress, tiny baby solid figure
• Bold vertical striped folk costume backs
• Early rustic hand-painted style
• Vintage condition — paint shows honest age wear consistent with early production; all figures intact and nesting well (see photos)

A wonderfully characterful and early-style matryoshka set for collectors who appreciate the rustic charm of folk art over later more commercial examples. The tiny baby at the center is particularly sweet. One of a kind.