Ndebele Doll
← Back to search
- Title Ndebele Doll
- Category Toy
- Medium Mixed Media
- Dimensions 11.25"h x 6"w x 3"d
- Year Completed Undated
- Description Part of the Yoder toy collection.
- Notes Ndebele Dolls typically consist of a torso, without legs or arms, heavily adorned in beadwork. This doll, however, has legs and is much bigger than the smaller Ndebele dolls in Whitworth’s collection. The attire of this doll matches clothing commonly used by the Ndebele women. Given to girls, play consists of an imitation of adult life. Special significance is given to how the girls handle the dolls; sometimes the dolls are made to fight and the owner of the doll which breaks will be scolded for not turning out to be a good wife. Married Ndebele women wear neck rings as part of traditional dress. These rings called 'dzilla' can be seen on the dolls.* This doll is likely to have been made for tourists. *Hechter-Schulz, Karl. “Fertility Dolls. Cults of the Nguni and Other Tribes of the Southern Bantu.” Anthropos 61, no. 3/6 (1966): 516–28.
- Artist Unknown
- Credit John and Janet Yoder Collection
- Location Lindaman Reception Display Case
- Accession Number 2022.0146
- Status Checked Out
-
Administration
Admin View
Edit Details