Doll
Fali Artist, Cameroon
Details
Title
Doll
Artist/Maker
Fali Artist, Cameroon
Date
Twentieth century
Medium
Wood, beads and fiber
Dimensions
5 1/2 × 2 3/4 × 1 1/2 inches
Credit
Purchase with funds from Pamola Powell and Guy Lescault
Accession #
2006.93
Location
Currently not on view
This highly ornamented miniature sculpture was made by a young man in Cameroon as a gift to his fiancée to celebrate their engagement. It wass conceived as an idealized image of a perfect child and functions as a symbol of the couple’s marriage commitment. The doll’s gender represents the future father’s desire for either a girl or a boy. Once married, the young bride cares for the beaded sculpture until the birth of their first child.