Indian Wood Doll

Spiky side tufts give this little standing figure the look of a startled owl.

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. Carving a doll from a single piece of wood and finishing it with painted clothing and features is a long-standing technique among South Asian toymakers. Upright figure with a pointed crest and flared tufts at the temples, hands clasped at the waist. The long skirt is covered in incised leaf-like marks, and patches of green sit in the brown surface above a stepped base. It is 3 inches wide, 2 deep and 10.5 high.

Dressed for attention, and getting it.