Mossi Yatenga Doll with Leather Belt

According to Christopher Roy and Thomas Wheelock, Mossi dolls served a purpose on two levels. First and foremost, these child images were playthings for young girls, functioning as an educational medium through which the responsibilities of motherhood are acted out, practiced and imprinted. Secondarily, dolls served as a symbolic surrogate child for a woman to display to the ever-watchful spirits that she was worthy and deserving of the blessings of motherhood. For the Mossi, if such a woman then becomes pregnant, the doll is a blessed object; it is ritually fed the mother’s first drops of milk and then secreted away as a sacred object that can be passed on through generations. Such cherished dolls have a notably richer, more indulgent patina than played-with dolls. They begin their lives as finer carvings as well.

The Mossi are a large and diverse ethnic group. Stylistic variations within the Mossi culture can be seen in their sculpture. Nowhere are these variations more striking than between Mossi dolls. This doll is archetypical of Mossi Yatenga dolls. It’s narrowly cylindrical and has rich low-relief detail from its crown to its base. From the estate of Sidney and Gae Berman, New York. $450

8″

Inquire About This Item