Makonde Ceramic Fetish Doll

A cloth-wrapped figure with a diagonal sash and a tilted head.

This fetish doll is the work of Makonde artisans of Tanzania, East Africa, made in terra cotta, cloth and horn in the late 19th or early 20th century. Figures of this type are often associated with protection and healing in the region. A narrow face sits between two large, rounded ears. A band of cloth crosses the shoulder, and one hand is held at the waist while the other reaches across the body. The clay is dark and heavily weathered, with thread ends visible near the hip.

About 8 inches tall. Dressed for something, and not telling you what.