Matryoshkas

...Otherwise known as nesting dolls and held up as a traditional Russian folk art. However, these little dolls didn't actually originate in Russia! They're from Japan; the toymaker Vassily Zviozdochkin was inspired by a similar looking doll he bought from that country. He designed his own version of the doll and exhibited it at the 1900 Paris World Fair. Another odd thing I found out is that the dolls are still hand carved (real ones anyway) with the smallest one first and the biggest one done last. Also, traditionally, one artist carves the dolls from wood and another actually paints the dolls.