Nesting dolls are sets of hollow wooden figures of graduating size, each one fitting inside the next larger. A set may hold as few as three or as many as fifteen dolls, all painted to a matching theme. The craft requires precise turning — each doll must fit snugly inside its outer shell with just enough clearance for painted decoration.
Traditional woods are soft, straight-grained species chosen for their stable behaviour as they dry. After turning, the dolls are painted by hand in the region's characteristic style — often flowers, folk costume, or narrative scenes. The idea is simple, but the execution is exacting: sets are often signed by the maker and collected in serious lineages.
Explore this craft by country
Each country page describes how this tradition is practised there — its own names, materials, workshops and living makers.