Customer Reviews

The Art of the Russian Matryoshka

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4 star:		(2)
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The detailed and collaborative work of Rett Ertl and Rick Hibberd, The Art Of The Russian Matryoshka is a unique and distinctive artbook devoted to the classic Russian toy consisting of dolls that fit inside one another. 330 full-color photographs illustrate and showcase rare and vintage matryoshka, while the narrative text covers the history of this device as well as the steps of its creation today. The Art Of The Russian Matryoshka is especially recommended for toy collectors and a welcome contribution Russian Cultural Studies collections.

This beautiful book is the most complete explaination of the art of Russian Nesting Dolls (Matryoshka) ever written. The history of the nesting doll is explained in detail with many beautiful photographs of dolls made long ago. The process of creating these wonderful dolls is thoroughly outlined and once again the photos show every aspect of their creation. The different geographical regions of the former Soviet Union and the different dolls produced there were also discussed. Individual artists were highlighted with their dolls as were many dolls from private collections. The different types of nesting dolls were described and pictured. The photographs were detailed and colorful and expertly showed the splendid artwork painted on each doll. This book is long overdue for all Matryoshka collectors. All others would also learn from and enjoy this wonderful book.

As an avid collector of matryoshka dolls, I found this book covered it all! I especially enjoyed the pictures and explanation of the lathing and prepping of the blanks. And the techniques used to paint the dolls. This book is a must-have for every collector!

It is correct to call this book a definitive history of Matryoshki, but that is not all it is. I would classify it as a genealogy, whereby Rett Ertl cleverly gives the historical skeleton, but clothes his history with the soul of the people and the artists. The illustrations ae superb, the setting out a joy, and the paper and presentation an experience in itself. The chapter on a number of the current artists allows the reader to learn more of this genealogy, and understand more fully the Art of the Russian Matryoshka.

This magnificently designed volume captures the heart of Mother Russia -- and captured my heart as well. Beautifully photographed and written in a lively, readable style. The dolls speak wisely about the history of this great, sad land, and I learned a lot about Russia. It's the perfect gift for anyone interested in Russia or, more broadly, in dolls and how they reflect their times.

A brilliant book. History and dolls so well presented, explained and illustrated. It's easy to read with loads of interesting information. There is even a photo of an artist that has made a set of dolls I have. I borrowed this book from the library and decided that it was a MUST HAVE. For those interested in matryoshka dolls, I cannot recommend it highly enough. A magnificent book. Looks great on the coffee table, and needs to be there so you can pick it up and put it down at leisure. A wonderfully enjoyable book.

This is a beautiful book, and the pieces illustrated are variously charming, complex, and gorgeous. However, if you are more interested in older dolls than contemporary ones, there are very, very few photographs of historical pieces, maybe (not a scientific count) six to eight in the entire book. This is really a book on the modern industry and its techniques and artists, with only a 12 page history at the beginning to cover all the past. If contemporary dolls are your interest, you will be thrilled, but if you like older, traditional ones (not the Clintons and the Beatles), then it seems there may still be a need for another book to be written.

This is a fabulous book, with a wealth of information on every aspect of the matryoshka. It shows just what a great artwork this really is - it's amazing that you can buy these dolls so cheaply. I also really enjoyed the history and background information.

I had visited Russia in 1996 and purchased many matryoshkas for myself and souvenirs. I loved this book, because I saw many of the ones I had bought, and others I hadn't and it was wonderful to learn their history. I also am fond of the store that Mr. Ertl has online and hope to purchase some matryoshkas from him in the future.

Fantastic book! Color plates are exquisite and the text very informative. A definate must-have for any doll collector!