Indian Wood Doll

Small standing figure with a stacked topknot and the composure of someone waiting for a bus.

This carved and painted wooden doll from Gujarat is from Mehsana District, Gujarat, India, and dates to the early 20th century. It is carved & painted wood. Gujarat is known for its folk arts, including wooden toys and figures that were carved by local craftsmen and then colored with bright pigments. Slim standing figure on a low rounded base, arms folded across the chest, a tall tiered coiffure above a faintly smiling face. The long skirt carries incised scale-like patterning, and the surface glows a warm brown with darker recesses. It is 3 inches wide, 2 deep and 9.5 high.

Patient, upright, and quietly pleased with its hairdo.