-40%

Turkana Kenya fertility dolls older, classic carvings

$ 13.2

Availability: 100 in stock
  • Country/Region of Manufacture: Kenya
  • Provenance: Ownership History Not Available
  • Culture: African
  • Modified Item: No
  • Handmade: Yes
  • All returns accepted: ReturnsNotAccepted
  • Condition: Used

    Description

    3 Dolls, older; very similar.  Two males, one female; classic carving, blunted limbs(no hands or feet).  Fairly defined features, coil amd metal trade bead coil ornaments on neck.  One with blue coil, other with green coil, third has green coil andmetal ornaments.  All measure 8 1/2 " high. Circa early to mid 20th century.
    Fertility dolls.  A traditional practice, dolls carved by the father of the family and decorated by the mother. After reaching puberty girls use them to practice motherhood and to assure fertility.
    I sell to the US only
    I have recently come into a number of African Art pieces.
    Wooden face masks, passport masks, jewelry
    and other items. These are not souvenir shop items.
    They were purchased in Liberia and Kenya although I believe most were purchased in Liberia and possibly in the Ivory Coast. Purchased by an avid collector/ doctor stationed in Africa in the early1990’s.
    They were appraised by Cummings& Associates, a Eugene Oregon company, in 2016. The appraisal values were quite high but I can’t be sure they represent actual value since these items are one of a kind and can’t really be replaced.
    I describe these as best I can, but I’m not personally knowledgeable with the pieces.  Most descriptions were provided by the appraiser..
    .