Vintage Hand-Carved African Kenyan / Turkana Tribe Female Mother Doll / Figurine 12.5 Inches - Baby on shops Back - Leather, Beads, Hair

Hand-carved wooden female figurine is from Kenya, Africa, made by the Turkana tribe. The figure depicts a woman with a tiny baby on her back. She is adorned with beads, leather, and hair. It might be real hair, or it might be some kind of straw.

The doll is painted brown, with light brown hair.

I have heard a lot of stories as to what shops the purpose of the doll is, but I think the most likely is this: This type of doll is made by the father of a girl, using items of her clothing, jewelry, and hair, and the girl uses it as a role-playing aid, preparing to be a mother someday. When she has her first child, the doll is passed to younger female relative, so that the dolls remain in families for a while.

This doll obviously has some age to it, but whether it was made for tribal use, or as a tourist souvenir, I do not know.

Size: 12.5 inches tall

Marks: Unmarked

Condition: Somewhat distressed, please look closely at photos. One foot is chipped on the back. The leather is stiff. And there is some dirt, as I did not clean it for fear of doing it damage..

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