General description: Unmarried girl wearing a special headdress kokoshnik showing off her long hair and a sarafan dress ensemble typical of the boyars (aristocracy) of European Russia. The presence of two ribbons in the plait indicate, according to tradition, that she has a fiancé and that her parents have agreed to the marriage. This is my largest doll.
Dimensions 56 x 37 x 20 cm
Date when acquired 2000s
Original Date 2000s
Source Flea market (Horner Rennbahn) in Hamburg. Present from Fritz W.
Body
Plastic doll with moveable eyes, arms and legs. Her blonde hair is drawn back from a central parting to form a single long plait tied with two red ribbons: a small one at the end and a longer and wider one attached to her headdress, crossed over at the nape of her neck and tied in a bow at the top of the plait. The ends of this ribbon fall down to below her knees.
Clothing
The doll’s long sarafan dress is made of red cotton painted with grape vines in green and yellow down the front of the skirt and in a broad band around the bottom of the skirt. Under this is a narrow band of green ribbon sewn on to the skirt, a band of green vine leaves painted on the material and then a band of yellow rickrack braid is sewn directly on the lower edge of the skirt. The same yellow braid is sewn around the neck and armholes. The sarafan is buttoned up the back with five white buttons. A long narrow cream braid sash is tied around the waist with its ends falling to almost the bottom of the skirt. Tassels made from red and yellow wool are attached to the ends of the braid.
Her white cotton blouse (dunyasha) has long slightly puffed sleeves gathered at the cuffs. The blouse is gathered around the neck by small darts. Yellow rickrack braid is sewn to the cuffs and neck and just below the shoulders of the sleeves. A line of green ribbon like that on the skirt is sewn above this sleeve decoration.
Under the skirt is a stiffened white petticoat seemingly made of paper. A ruffle forms the lower edge of the petticoat and its hem is covered with white lace. The petticoat helps to give the sarafan its shape. The doll is also wearing a pair of white cotton underpants.
The doll’s red boots are made of plastic.
On the doll’s head is a headdress in the form of a tiara, the so-called kokoshnik. It is made of plastic but is cut to form a meshwork of geometric designs, decorated with green beads. On each side of the kokoshnik, by the ears, lies a single chain of five green beads. The kokoshnik is held in place with a red silk ribbon tied around the back of the neck and in a bow around the top of the plait. The shape of this kokoshnik resembles the domes of Russian churches and so is often worn by brides.
Accessories
She is wearing two bead necklaces around her neck: a smaller one with green beads and a larger one with red beads (coral?).
Background information
See Russia: General information.
(1.18.2)
National costume dolls 