nesting dolls
Concealed wooden figures
Nesting dolls are a set of hollow wooden figures that fit inside one another, each slightly smaller than the last.
The largest opens to reveal the next size down, and so on until the smallest solid piece.
Originally Russian folk art (also called matryoshka dolls), the term extends to anything with this recursive structure: The scandal revealed nesting dolls of corruption—each layer exposed another beneath it.
Russian nesting doll
- MoscowRussia's capital city
- RussiaEurasian federation, largest country
- SlavicOf certain Eastern Europeans
- babushkaTriangular cloth head covering
folklore · tradition · souvenir · cultural heritage · peasant · Russian Empire · Tsar · ethnic
Small ornamental sculpture
- souvenirToken from a trip
- keepsakeItem preserved for sentiment
- decorativeServing to beautify
- displayPresentation for viewing
set · miniature · gift · antique · limited edition · hand-painted · signed · themed
Stacked levels or coatings
- concealmentAct of hiding something
- revealMake something visible
- hiddenKept out of sight
- encapsulationSurrounding on all sides
maternal · generations · family · wholeness · unity · hierarchy · progression · interconnection
Object for amusement
- stackableCan be piled up
- childrenYoung human beings
- unboxingRevealing packaged goods on camera
- surpriseUnexpected event causing astonishment
opening · fitting · reassembling · sorting · counting · educational · playroom · games
Shaping rotating timber
- carvingShaping by cutting away
- birchPale deciduous hardwood
- lindenDeciduous tree, genus Tilia
- lacquerGlossy protective coating
painting · handmade · artisan · varnishing · lathe · hollowing · pyrography · gesso
Containers that nest inside each other
- stacking cupsTimed nesting competition equipment
- FabergéLuxury Russian goldsmith house
- political figuresProminent government participants
- themed setsCoordinated items sharing motifs
cartoon characters · Santa · snowman · Easter eggs · panda · owl · cat · penguin
matryoshka
Russian nesting doll
- MoscowRussia's capital city
- RussiaEurasian federation, largest country
- SlavicOf certain Eastern Europeans
babushka · folklore · tradition · souvenir · cultural heritage · peasant · Russian Empire · Tsar · ethnic · dacha
figurine
Small ornamental sculpture
- souvenirToken from a trip
- keepsakeItem preserved for sentiment
- decorativeServing to beautify
display · set · miniature · gift · antique · limited edition · hand-painted · signed · themed · commemorative
layers
Stacked levels or coatings
- concealmentAct of hiding something
- revealMake something visible
- hiddenKept out of sight
encapsulation · maternal · generations · family · wholeness · unity · hierarchy · progression · interconnection · innermost
plaything
Object for amusement
surprise · opening · fitting · reassembling · sorting · counting · educational · playroom · games · entertainment
woodturning
Shaping rotating timber
lacquer · painting · handmade · artisan · varnishing · lathe · hollowing · pyrography · gesso · tempera
Chinese boxes
Containers that nest inside each other
- stacking cupsTimed nesting competition equipment
- FabergéLuxury Russian goldsmith house
- political figuresProminent government participants
themed sets · cartoon characters · Santa · snowman · Easter eggs · panda · owl · cat · penguin
- cultural dollsmatryoshka, kachina, daruma
- DollsCabbage Patch Kids, Raggedy Andy, Monster High, Dawn, Sasha
- miniaturesminiatures, figurines, figurine, miniature sculptures, scale models
- spatial puzzlesmaze, labyrinth, jigsaw puzzle, tangram, block puzzle
- wooden toysblocks, building blocks, rocking horse, pull toy, push toy
- hand-paintedchina, plates, vases, bowls, ceramic tiles
nesting dollsaction figure
Poseable character toy
porcelain figurine · bronze bust · solid block · marble bust · garden gnome
nesting dollsbuilding blocks
Basic units for construction
stacking blocks · stacking rings · scattered pieces · jigsaw puzzle · marbles