Objects of desire: Russian doll

What to bring back from your travels

The original Russian — or Matryoshka — doll actually came from the Japanese island of Honshu in 1890. The dolls-within-dolls design was appropriated by Muscovite craftsmen, and thus was born Russia’s most enduring souvenir.

They first went on sale in Sergiev Posad, a pilgrimage town 45 miles north of Moscow. Local craftsmen, who made a living selling carved knick-knacks to the faithful, found the new offerings to be bestsellers.

The true objects of desire, however, come from Semionovo, 300 miles east of Moscow, where the master carver Arsenty Mayorov developed the classic Matryoshka style in the 1920s, using aniline dyes rather than gouache to create the rosy-cheeked peasant girl with the headscarf and floral apron.

The dolls are still made here: a hand-painted 6in, seven-piece set from the Khokhloma workshops, on Chkalova Street, costs £6, while a 12-in, 12-piece set costs £42.

If you can’t make it to Semionovo, head for the Izmailovsky Market, in Moscow; or, if you’re on a cruise ship, the gift shops of St Petersburg. But caveat emptor, because fakes abound. In recent years, the street markets — especially touristy Old Arbat, in Moscow, where you’ll pay five times over the odds for anything — have been flooded with cheap Chinese copies. They’re easy to spot because they’re made from pine, not lime, and have knots on their unpainted inside surfaces.

Some also have glued components, which are a dead giveaway: craftsman-turned dolls are cut from a single piece of timber.

Next, test how easy they are to open. High-quality dolls will require a bit of effort to twist apart. As well as exquisite floral paintwork, look for the intricate gold trim, then touch the lacquer finish: it should be as smooth as President Putin’s chin.

As a rule, you won’t find any heirloom-quality Matryoshkas on the street: these are on sale at the State Historical Museum gift shop, on Red Square, or in the souvenir shop at the TSUM department store on Petrovka Street. Be prepared to spend between £100 and £4,000.