Russian Orthodox Icon Matryoshka Nesting Dolls 10-Pc — Signed

A hand-painted ten-piece matryoshka set executed in the Russian Orthodox iconographic tradition, signed in Cyrillic on the base as Т. Воеводина. The set dates to the post-Soviet revival period, when signed fine-art religious matryoshkas re-emerged following decades of suppression under Soviet rule.

The outer doll presents the Theotokos in the Hodegetria type — "She Who Shows the Way" — the oldest and most venerated Marian iconographic form in Eastern Christianity. She appears in deep crimson maphorion with the canonical eight-pointed star, green inner robe, and right hand extended toward the Christ Child, whose nimbus carries the Byzantine abbreviation IC XC. The reverse is plain amber lacquer with a painted gold cross spanning both halves.

Each successive piece follows a strict theological hierarchy:

• Christ Pantocrator — two-finger blessing pose, radiate gold halo
• Bishop in full gold episcopal vestments — consistent with St. Nicholas of Myra
• Veiled female saint — cream maphorion, blue and red robes, gold halo
• Schema-monk — black klobuk, embroidered crosses of the Great Schema
• Four apostolic figures — descending scale, flat planar faces of Russian icon tradition
• Solid oval — gold cross only; innermost terminal piece

CONDITION Very Good overall — color is vivid and gold highlighting is largely intact across all ten figures. Minor paint loss to the white highlight at the neckline of the veiled female saint, and light handling wear to the lacquer on the outer doll's reverse.

DIMENSIONS / SPECIFICATIONS

• Piece count: 10
• Outer doll height: Approximately 9–10" H (estimated from scale reference)
• Medium: Hand-painted wood, lacquer finish, gold paint highlights
• Signature: Т. ВОЕВОДИНА (T. Voevodina) in Cyrillic, base of outer doll
• Campbell's Soup Can (4" H) Shown for Scale