Native American, Fort Yuma Indian Reservation (California & Arizona), Yuma/Quechan peoples, ca. 1910 CE. A fine male Yuma doll, hand-modeled from unfired clay and dressed in a loin cloth made from red fabric tied to his waist with a strip of leather. His tubular arms are angled slightly outwards and bent at the elbows with both hands open. The entirety of his tan-hued figure and face are hand-painted with horizontal and vertical striations of black pigment. Capped with a horse hair coiffure held in place with several thin strands of leather, his fascinating visage exhibits bulging, slanted eyes delineated in black, a petite nose with incised nostrils, and a straight mouth, held slightly open, all flanked by two tab-shaped ears, each with horizontal drill holes likely for suspending ornaments. Size: 3.5" W x 7.875" H (8.9 cm x 20 cm)
Yuma dolls are relatively rare compared to Mojave dolls, but they are easily mistaken for one another. One difference between the two is that Yuma dolls have hair coming straight out of a hole on the top of the head which is then tied around the head as we see in this example.
Provenance: private Orlando, Florida, USA collection, acquired on January 17th, 2021; ex-Michael D. Higgins & Son, Tucson, Arizona, USA
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#163205
Condition
Proper right arm and hand reattached with break lines visible. Surface wear to leather and light fraying to periphery of loin cloth. Otherwise, excellent with impressive remaining pigment and light earthen deposits throughout.