Product Description
Kirov Straw Inlay Matryoshka (Кировская Соломенная Инкрустация Матрешка). A marvel of Russian folk art! . Over a hundred tiny pieces of colored straw were painstakingly inlaid into this doll in both a flower and in geometric patterns. The straw is a special variety of rye harvested with a scythe, then boiled in a potassium solution to achieve the color of gold. The cut-into-shape straw is then fastened and covered with an oil lacquer. Diamond-shaped straw collars on the first two doll, flowers on first three, and buttons on the last two.
Paper label in Russian reads (in part): "Кировское производственное объединение "Вятка" по выпуску игрушек. г. Киров. Кировская фабрика сувениров". (Kirov Production Association "Viatka" for the production of toys. City of Kirov. Kirov Souvenir Factory.) Made in the Kirov factory in the late 1980s. Purple stamp of 8-00 is the state-set Soviet price. 5 nest, 4⅜" x 1⅝". 1 only, as shown.
Note: White, cloudy areas in the photos are "hot spots" that were caused by our studio lights and reflected from off the shiny lacquer. The doll is fine.
Read about the history of Kirov dolls Here