Namchi Wood Fertility Doll, Based

Bundle-bodied figure with shells at the shoulders and a belt of tiny beads.

This fertility doll on a base from the Namchi is Namchi, from Central Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is carved wood & fiber. Fibers, beads and metal are often added to African dolls, and these details are generally chosen for their local meaning and appearance. Rounded dark head with a pinched face and a white shell at the neck above a bulging body of bound pale strands. Cowries and a small bundle hang at the sides. A band of yellow and white beads circles the waist. It is 3 inches wide, 3 deep and 8.25 high.

Plump, adorned and thoroughly self-contained, as ever.