Beware of cheap immitation of the Russian Nesting Dolls

The Russian nesting dolls (also called matryoshka ,mamushka,babushka) is a century old traditional Russian craft. The dolls are hand painted by the skilled Russian artists to become a fantastic gift, an adorable toy or even a piece of art. Unfortunately, due to the increased popularity of the Russian dolls in recent years many cheap imitations claiming to be the Russian nesting dolls have appeared.  These can be found on eBay or sometimes even in grocery stores.

What are the typical features of the counterfeit dolls that can be used to distinguish then from the authentic Russian dolls? Here are some of them:

• the pattern is very simple, they also use significantly fewer brush strokes to create ornaments than the genuine Matryoshkas
• the colours are usually simple and often dull
• the facial features are often asymmetric and unpleasant
• the top of the head is often flat and excessively squared
• the most distinctive feature of the cheap stacking dolls is that they do not have bevelled skirting at the bottom of the largest figurine
• some of them are signed on the bottom by the artist

Thus, it is very easy to avoid disappointment by paying attention to these several features. Of course, if your set of matryoshka dolls is shipped directly from Russia or by a reputable retail store, then you can be assured that they are authentic!

http://russiandolls-boutique.com/