#11 - JRL 7225
From: "Rick Hibberd" <rick@vernissagepress.com>
Subject: New book on Russian matryoshka
Date: Mon, 16 June 2003

Vernissage Press is delighted to announce the publication of THE ART OF THE RUSSIAN MATROSHKA. This book would be of interest not only to collectors, but to JRL readers who find themselves blinded by the matryoshka displays in Russian souvenir shops and have never had the opportunity to learn how closely the development of the matryoshka mirrors Russia's development.   THE ART OF THE RUSSIAN MATROSHKA recounts the history of Russian nesting dolls, how and where they are made, the many types of dolls, and their creators.  The book includes not only photographs of the full range of dolls (there are 330 color plates), but also of the artists and lathe turners at work in factories and in their backyards. A number of the photos, including those of lathe operators hip-deep in linden wood saw dust, have a "you have to see it to believe it" quality. In fact, one of the charms of matryoshka dolls, as revealed by the book, is the juxtaposition of a technology that has essentially not changed since the first Russian matryoshka was created in 1899 and artwork that continues to evolve to reflect the times.

THE ART OF THE RUSSIAN MATROSHKA can be ordered for $40 from Vernissage Press, at www.vernissagepress.com, phone number (888) 849-8697.

Sincerely,

Rick Hibberd (co-author, along with Rett Ertl)