Memorial Doll (Indie)
A wooden doll carved to resemble a deceased member of the Indies tribe. Memorial dolls are usually articulated and clad in doll's clothes or at least a veil over the face, and one of the deceased's teeth is typically hidden inside a cavity within the chest or strung around the neck like a necklace. Because blockheads can be hard to visually distinguish, the spoken name of the deceased is written somewhere on the body, along with the names of her children and sometimes her partner(s).
These dolls are meant to be played with gently (what use is a doll which can't be played with) and kept wherever the family tends to gather when not being played with. Children tend to understand the gravity of breaking one of the only remaining icons of their mother, but if something should happen, the dollmakers will mend the doll as soon as they are able.
Manufacturing process
1. Carve wood into distinct parts of the body. More parts and more detailed parts make for a better doll.
2. If leaving tooth inside body, hollow out cavity and deposit tooth before covering with wooden plate or cloth.
3. Drill holes for points of articulation.
4. Paint according to the color of the mother's skin.
5. Connect body parts with strong leather cord or string. If not embedding tooth within cavity, string tooth on inseparable necklace through neck.
6. Sandpaper exterior smoother if possible. The goal is not to make it perfectly smooth but to reduce weird bumps from carving.
7. Clothe and decorate the doll.
Significance
Extremely cultural and personal
Item type
Religious / Ritualistic
Related ethnicities
Rarity
Very common
Dimensions
Usually about a third to half a foot tall
Raw materials & Components
Tools
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