Vibrant Vintage Turkana Doll

The Turkana are a Nilotic, semi-nomadic pastoral people of northwestern Kenya. They live in dry country centering on Lake Turkana which has no outlet and is fed by the Omo River flowing south from the Ethiopian Highlands. Turkana dolls were traditionally carved by older male relatives, with adornments fabricated by mothers and older sisters. As Kenya has a long history with tourism as well as with settlers of European origin, Turkana dolls, headrests and other traditional, used artifacts came to the attention of visitors as ethnographic souvenirs as early as the 1920’s. This doll was collected some time in the 1960’s by an American expatriate. It is older than most Turkana dolls one encounters with considerable signs of indigenous use. It has a fiber coiffure, beaded eyes, beaded leather skirt, collar and cape and evidence of an attempt to repair one of its feet. Both the wood and leather accessories are extremely dry. Mounted on a custom base.

18″

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