happy mutha's day to all y'all muthas

the babushka or matryoshka dolls. classic amusement from russia. i played with a set of these when i was a kid -- literally for hours. in & out & up & down. playing doll house or doll family or just stacking them over & over. clearly an all-time classic toy. i would venture to say this rose & yellow-kerchief design is the traditional design, or at least one of the traditional designs. i had a set like this, plus another set, plus now i have my grandmother's set, and a set elvis got for me in prague.

according to wikipedia, the concept of the nesting doll may have come to russia from japan. or, the concept may have originated in russia, but not with dolls - with easter eggs or other carved toys.

this is an impressive set, eh? i do not have any that have more than 5 or maybe 6 dolls. this one has like, a million. or a billion. quite, quite impressive.

the dolls come in a wide variety of designs. i only have the girl-doll design, in a variety of clothing. but, as you can see here - a wide variety exist. i am not sure i am a fan of the variety. i like the traditional girl-doll design.