Mojave Female Pottery Figurine with Clasped Arms [SOLD]

The Mojave Indians of California crafted pottery doll figurines in the likeness of themselves, showing what they wore and how they tattooed their faces and bodies.  These were mostly made in the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century, from about 1880 to 1920. It is not likely that the dolls would have received much attention today if not for Rick Dillingham, a Santa Fe artist and collector, who amassed the largest and most comprehensive collection in the country—214 pieces.  Dillingham donated his collection of Mojave pottery to the School for Advanced Research, Indian Arts Research Center, in 1994. The collection was researched and published in book form in 2001 (see reference below).

This female figurine is wrapped in a red fabric skirt decorated with simple black spots.  Her skirt is cinched at the waist with rows of grey yarn. Around her neck is a necklace of several strands of white shell hieshe beads from which is suspended a small seashell. Her earrings are similar.  Her hair appears to be of horsehair and it is cinched around her forehead with a rope strand. Her face and body are painted in the style of tattoos traditional to Mojave women.

The figurine appears to be from the early twentieth century and is one with a matching male of similar style (see our Item Number C4127i and image below).  The doll is provided with a metal stand for stability.

Condition: this Mojave Female Pottery Figurine with Clasped Arms is in very good condition

Provenance: from the estate of Henry Christensen III of New York who had purchased it from Adobe Gallery in 2004.  Adobe Gallery had previously purchased it from the Chuck and Jan Rosenak folk art collection.

Reference: Mojave Pottery, Mojave People—The Dillingham Collection of Mojave Ceramics by JIll Leslie Furst