Fali Leather Wrapped Fertility Doll Cameroon

Overall Condition: Good. Most of our pieces have spent decades on at least two continents, and have been treasured by several owners.   We examine each piece carefully when we receive it and report any damage we find in our listings.  Please look carefully at the pictures which may also reveal condition and damage

Damage/Repair: some strands torn. worn leather, dirt, general wear

A superb Fali fertility doll with wonderful multiple layers of beads and cowrie shells. A leather garment is also attached to the doll.

"In Cameroon, when a young Fali man becomes betrothed, he makes a doll(ham pilu) from wood and decorates it with hair, beads, and other small objects. He then gives it to his fiance, who wears it in a baby carrier on her back. The doll is a symbol of their marriage commitment and represents their future child. The man gives the doll the gender that he desires for his firstborn. The young woman cares for the figure until the promised child is born; at this point, the couple carefully stores the doll away. "Fali doll- A good example of this rare doll can be seen on the cover of "ISN'T S/HE A DOLL, PLAY, AND RITUAL IN AFRICAN SCULPTURE," put out by UCLA's Fowler Museum of Cultural History.

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