Sometimes you just need to escape. You search your Facebook feed for a crazy Buzzfeed article, or for a cat or a dog video, or maybe another spoof of Kardashian’s behind. But this is a bit more dreamy: teary-eyed dolls. 

I was scrolling through a Vogue Nippon Google search for inspiration (I love the Japanese edition) and I stumbled over these amazing pictures of the dolls whimsically draped over perfume bottles for an editorial.

It was a stunning combination: ethereal limbs, fluttering hair, and the gracious curves of perfume bottles. I was transported right away, and my fingers did the walking to the next search: Enchanted Dolls.

Hand-crafted in limited numbers by Marina Bychkova, they have a cult following. Bychkova was born in Siberia, Russia, where Eastern European culture meets Asian influences, and her masterfully crafted dolls reflect the mix of these two cultures.

Big, watery eyes, straight out of Japanese anime drawing, the delicate limbs with their fragile joints are reminiscent of Eastern European wood detailing, while the long and curly princess hair is straight out of a Russian fairy tale. But she doesn’t stop at pretty, some of the dolls are pregnant, or have beautiful tattoos on their bodies. They all have armpit hair, and realistically drawn genitalia. They conjure up magical fairy tales and epic stories of princesses coming of age, all imbued with the legendary melancholy of Slavic culture.

You can follow Marina Bychkova’s magical journey at www.enchanteddoll.com.

 all pictures are courtesy of Enchanted Dolls