Women in Sarees [India]

Product Description

Women in Sarees [India] (साड़ी [भारत] में महिलाएं।). Six-nested doll made in India circa mid-1980s. The painting is of the naïve type, but well done in a folk art manner. The indigenous wood is a hardwood, that differs from standard Russian linden or birch. In this set, the fit of each doll is "all over the place", and some pieces wobble. The lacquer is polished to a high gloss. This set was made when folk art was common and goods from India were cost-effective for importers into US and elsewhere. 6⅝" x 1⅜". Very good condition, 1 only.

The manufacture of matryoshka dolls made outside of Russia finds India in stiff competition with Chinese dolls. Some of today's workshops in India produces a sophisticated product, and copy Russian doll themes. This is true of Chinese dolls which appear most often in large online marketplaces. Indian dolls, by comparison, are scarcer.

Refer to Collector's Guide to Nesting Dolls by Michele Lefkovitz, pg 112-132, plate 234.