(Maria Mordvinkova)  
Dolls That Link the Past

by Pam North

Queen Anne, the last Stuart monarch, was born in 1665, and reigned over Great Britain and Ireland from 1702 to her death in 1714. English woodcarvers and craftsmen began making Queen Anne-type dolls in the 17th and 18th centuries. Affordable only to affluent families then, the vast majority of Queen Anne dolls were owned by women, who dressed them in the fashions of the time. Original dolls from that period, in good to excellent condition, are extremely rare, as only about thirty 17th century Queen Anne dolls apparently have survived, and are valued at thousands of dollars each.
The wooden dolls are characterized by their jointed bodies and their carved faces, the latter which were decorated with brightly rouged cheeks and almond-shaped eyes (either of inset dark glass or painted). The facial features were shallowly carved, and the stylized eyelashes and brows were accented by tiny dot details, with slightly larger black dots on their faces to emulate beauty spots (the fake moles that women applied to their skin, and the height of fashion at the time). The nose was applied to the face as a little wedge of wood in a beakish shape. The entire doll was covered with gesso to seal the wood, and then painted. The tongue-and-groove bodies had wooden peg joints at the knees and the hips, and the carved lower legs were thin with roughly-shaped feet without toes. The fork-fingered lower arms were attached with cloth or leather. 
Few modern craftsmen reproduce Queen Anne dolls. One artist who does so is Maria Mordvinkova, and her creations beautifully reflect the historic look of the original Queen Ann dolls without carrying a hugely expensive price tag.
In her childhood, Mordvinkova played with dolls like any normal girl, but an interest in more commonplace dolls did not stay with her into adulthood. “I'm still not particularly interested in other people's dolls, with a few exceptions,” she commented. Schooled in Yoshkar-Ola, she became an engineer, and has lived for the past twelve years in Zelenograd (a part of Moscow) in Russia, with her husband, two sons and two daughters. She also worked in a pharmacy for a while, doing database maintenance. Her free time was devoted to the creation of toys: initially ones of felt, then teddy bears, and finally wooden dolls.
She had received an order for a replica of a Queen Anne antique doll, which she declined because she didn’t know how to make one, but the doll type captured her interest, leading her to the decision that she would learn that skill. Now she works in a very unique niche, creating articulated wooden dolls that focus on the style of the early Queen Anne dolls. She has been creating her wooden dolls for about five years.
Mordvinkova’s training in her craft was attained partially from master classes she had taken on working with wood, but additional skills were learned through her own diligence. She studied the Queen Ann-type dolls painstakingly to learn the unique details of their appearance and their construction, then solved the pertinent technological issues involved in recreating them while determining what materials and techniques worked best. “The main sources of inspiration for me are paintings from that period; doll auction photos of original dolls; museum examples of rare dolls, costumes; and original antique materials,” she explained. “They determine a lot of what I do. I constantly study the information related to these dolls.” 
She cuts her dolls from Linden wood, a conveniently obtained and pliable wood. One integral process, which she refers to as “scalding”, is actually a grinding operation that is necessary, and another, the initial coating of paint, are tedious to her, as there is little change in the doll. “Everything else is rather exciting, though not that difficult,” she commented. She gets the most satisfaction from the more creative aspects of cutting out the wood and the final painting, and she views the costume creation as “pure fun”. She uses acrylic paints; antique blown-glass eyes; goat mohair for the dolls’ hair; and antique textiles, lace, decorative items, and accessories for the dolls’ costumes. It takes her about ten full working days to make a doll. She sells her products on Etsy, finding it a more convenient resource than the doll exhibitions in Russia and Europe she previously participated in few years ago, and she has left that latter venue for now.
Evolving in her craft is important to her. She tries making different types of antique dolls, and she experiments with more complicated costumes, adding suitable accessories and details. “I create wooden dolls using old methods and antique materials, but I also blend in modern technologies and new materials where useful and appropriate. Many collectors have told me that, in their opinion, dolls of my creation deserve to be a legacy that can be passed on to descendants. Just imagine: in the present moment I connect the past, in the form of my dolls and antique materials, with future generations. It is a great honor for me!”
Mordvinkova especially delights in doing  custom orders. “This is always an exciting adventure for two people, at the end of which there will be a prize. For me, it’s the satisfaction from work; for the collector, it’s a dream doll!”
Mordvinkova’s family currently lives in a city apartment, leaving her without a real workshop. “I work everywhere – in all the rooms and in the kitchen, on tables, chairs, and my lap!” Her family is supportive of her work. Her daughters like to play with her dolls, and they make critical comments in the process of creating costumes.
She views the future of doll-making optimistically. “I see a growing interest in my field. It is also very interesting to me that many buyers return for my work again and again, and this is very pleasing! I think the world is continuing to appreciate artists and their creations, because these are authentic and unique items. I must say that I do not consider myself an artist, but rather that I am engaged in a craft in which I want to achieve a very high level of skill.”
Mordvinkova is contemplating new directions to pursue in her craft. “There are a couple of doll types that I would like to try; these are Santos dolls and boudoir dolls. Of course, I plan to do them in my own way!”
Contact Information:
Name: Maria Mordvinkova
Email: Masha@mordvinkov.ru
Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TeddySoul
Address: 623-32 Zelenograd, Moscow, Russia 124489
Telephone: +79164002363