The hand-made figurines are dried for a few days in the open air, fired in an oven or kiln, whitewashed with a solution of chalk and skimmed milk and painted with distemper egg yolk paints. The techniques are simple but the effect is pure folk craftsmanship.  

These figurines depict the merchant and upper class from 19th century Russian villages and towns. Women of fashion, nannies, wet-nurses, merchant's daughters -- all were dressed in the national Russian costume of sarafan frock and high headgear. Dymkovo craftsmen and women made wildly exaggerated fashion statements with these figurines.