H x W x D: 21 x 3.5 x 4.4 cm (8 1/4 x 1 3/8 x 1 3/4 in.)
Type:
Sculpture
Geography:
Burkina Faso
Date:
Mid-20th century
Label Text:
Wood dolls in the form of stylized female figures are carved by Mossi blacksmiths and sold in the market. Parents give them to their daughters, who use them as playthings and to learn child care skills. Later the figures may play a role in initiation and childbirth. If a woman is having trouble conceiving she may commission a new, larger version of her childhood doll. On this example the basic wood form has been covered in leather with the stitching giving the suggestion of a crest hairstyle.
Description:
Cylindrical doll figure with crest hairstyle, no arms and legs, and pointed, projecting breasts, covered in stitched on leather.
Provenance:
Lawrence Gussman, Scarsdale, New York, -- to 1972
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