Product Description

Belarusian Peasant Farmer Family. An unusual Brest set circa 1988 of a farmer family. This set doesn't seem to show up often, and if it does, the hat, which is attached to farmer dad, is usually missing. An elegant arrangement of classic Brest "types" which show up in the pantheon of Brest matryoshkas. 5½" down to ¾". 1 only.

Brest (formerly Brest-Litovsk) is a city in Belarus at the border of Poland. Dolls from Brest were labeled "Made in the USSR" during the time Belarus was part of the USSR. For a long time, the Brest Matryoshka factory was quite the prolific production center for unusual matryoshkas. Their dolls use birch wood, instead of the more traditional, and softer, linden wood, and are painted in bright colors. Dolls can either be glossy lacquer or matte lacquer. Several significant importers, including Shelmar Imports of NJ, had a direct relationship with the factory and even helped to design some of the specialty dolls for the American market.