Male doll with maroon velvet shirt with simulated concha belt
Ivory toy kayak
Female doll with patterned blouse with concha belt / Native American; Navajo (Diné)
Essay/Description
Female. Patterned blouse with concha belt. Blue and white bead necklace. Brown pleated skirt. Thread stiched eyes. Cloth formed nose. Black wool hair.
Dolls were typically made for children to play with and were made to resemble humans, including tribal clothing and designs. Through play, the dolls “were used to communicate tribal values, practices, and customs” (Cotherman 2007, 24). Children learned how to prepare food, hunt, care for children, and make clothing by imitating adult behaviors in play. The clothing the dolls wore reflected the designs and patterns of that tribe or family tradition and often resembled human clothing the maker would create (Cotherman 2007).