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Cylindrical form wrapped with fiber, and hair and long braided strands on top. Glass or plastic bead strands on top and neck (yellow and blue beads) and wood or other brown beads (?) encircling form. Entire form is covered with red ochre
Doll
Courtesy of the Harn Museum of Art, Photography by Foad Seyed Mohammadi

Doll

Maker Ambo Artist, Mwila group
Date20th century
Place of originAngola, Africa
MediumWood, red ochre, plant fibers, hair, beads (possibly glass or plastic), metal rings or buttons, cotton cloth, possibly leather
Dimensions10 in. (25.4 cm)
ClassificationsSculpture
Credit LineGift of William D. and Norma Canelas Roth
Object number2008.52.2
Collections
Visual DescriptionCylindrical wooden core wrapped with braided fiber cords and long braided strands on top. Glass, plastic and possibly wooden beads on top (yellow, white, green, black, brown) and wood or other brown beads encircling form. Appears to have two rings for eyes, either of metal or shell buttons; unpigmented rattan or grass ring around neck.
Cylindrical form wrapped with fiber, and hair and long braided strands on top. Glass or plastic bead strands on top and neck (yellow and blue beads) and wood or other brown beads (?) encircling form. Entire form is covered with red ochre
Doll
Ambo Artist, Mwila group
20th century
Cylindrical form wrapped with fiber, and hair, and long briaded strands on top. Glass or plastic bead strands on top, forming fringe around face (yellow, red, black, green and white beads). Strands of plant fiber (?) crossed over front, around two mounds representing breasts. Top and breast area are smeared with red ochre. Cloth tied on bottom.
Doll
Ambo Artist, Mwila group
20th century
Cylindrical wooden core wrapped with fiber; long braided strands of fiber and glass or plastic bead strands yellow, red, blue and green beads) on top, nearly covering the wood core. Cloth skirt on base.
Doll
Ambo Artist, Mwila, Ndemba group
20th century
Cylindrical form wrapped with plant fiber rings; top has strands of fiber and hair, and long braided strands of yellow, orange and green beads. Blue, yellow and black cotton cloth skirt on base.
Doll
Ambo Artist, Mwila, Ndemba group
20th century
Cylindrical wooden core wrapped with fiber; braided strands of fiber interspersed with glass or plastic bead strands (white and other colors) on top, nearly all covered with red ochre. Cotton cloth skirt wrapped around base. Yellow beaded strands crossed over raised mounds (breasts or arms?).
Doll
Ambo Artist, Mwila, Ndemba group
20th century
Cylindrical form wrapped with fiber, with long braided fiber strands on top alternating with glass or plastic bead strands (green, white and blue beads); wood or other brown beads encircling form. Entire form is covered with red ochre.
Doll
Ambo Artist, Mwila group
20th century
Cylindrical core wrapped with strands of beads in registers of red, white and green; top is covered with white, red, blue, yellow and green beads, clumps of beaded strands on either side of top with same colors. Panels of beads encircle base, and rest on a thick ruffled white cloth skirt. Two brown buttons attached to one side, slightly askew.
Doll (nwana)
Tsonga Artist
20th century
Cylindrical form wrapped with glass and plastic bead strands (red, white, green, pink, dark blue), red wool or other fiber strands covering top, with a white interlaced beadwork disk in center, attached to strands of white, pink and blue, ands braided or white glass beads on each side.
Doll (nguana modula)
Southern Sotho Artist
20th century
Conical form wrapped with glass beads and bead covered rings (white, pink, yellow, turquoise, red, blue); face is pink with white beads for eyes and mouth. Head is crowned by white bead rest; long braided bead loop with beaded loop from neck to base, and apron with fringe of white, black and red and green beads on waist.
Doll (umndwana)
Ndebele Artist
20th century
Wood cylinder with knob on each end, wrapped with dark blue beads, upper half, and strands of white glass and other beads on lower half, including vertical strands of ostrich shell beads and clear and light green glass beads. Large mother of pearl button in the center; right arm made of strand of alternating light and dark glass beads. Left arm is missing, as are some other beads.
Child Figure (okana kositi)
Ambo Artist
late 19th century
The Fengu blankets are similiar to those of the Xhosa. This one has the fur trim which the Fengu prefer as well as the older mother-of-pearl buttons. There is also the fine black wool embroidery work and the delicate use of the glass bead-work. The blanket would have been worn partially folded over by about one third the width. The origin is Mazizini.
Man's Blanket (Ingubo)
Zulu Artist
1850-1950
Headrest
Headrest
Dinka Artist
20th century

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