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Cloth doll with wooden head and carved facial features / Native American; Yupik-Inupiaq

Essay/Description

Cloth doll with wooden head and carved facial features. Thread sewn seal gut parka and pants. Fishskin boots with red stroud cloth tops.

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).

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Title(s): 
Cloth doll with wooden head and carved facial features
Culture: 
Native American; Yupik-Inupiaq
Date: 
early 20th century
Period: 
Historic
Place: 
Alaska, United States of America
Materials/Techniques: 
seal gut, wood, fur, fish skin, cotton, cotton string.
Classification: 
Object Type: 
Accession No: 
93.58
Department: 
Not On View

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