Bride Doll

Item number Ei30 from the MOA: University of British Columbia.

Public

Item Records

This page shows all the information we have about this item. Both the institution that physically holds this item, and RRN members have contributed the knowledge on this page. You’re looking at the item record provided by the holding institution. If you scroll further down the page, you’ll see the information from RRN members, and can share your own knowledge too.

The RRN processes the information it receives from each institution to make it more readable and easier to search. If you’re doing in-depth research on this item, be sure to take a look at the Data Source tab to see the information exactly as it was provided by the institution.

These records are easy to share because each has a unique web address. You can copy and paste the location from your browser’s address bar into an email, word document, or chat message to share this item with others.

Data
Data Source

This information was automatically generated from data provided by MOA: University of British Columbia. It has been standardized to aid in finding and grouping information within the RRN. Accuracy and meaning should be verified from the Data Source tab.

Description

A small unglazed clay figure on a circular pedestal base. Simplicity of form reveals a female torso with extended wing-like arms, and a pinched face. There is stick-poke detail on the headpiece, collar, eyes, and nipples. Has incised lines and pelleted eyes. Hair is knotted at the back.

History Of Use

Early archeological sites verify the antiquity of clay objects in India. Whatever form they take, clay objects are implicitly sacred since clay is seen as a manifestation of 'Mother Earth', innately suggesting the abstraction of nature's primordial energies. The potters of the Kumbhakara cast (Kumaras) are heirs to a long tradition in both village and urban areas. The production of clay pots and vessels for everyday use is their regular occupation but making images for use as votive offerings is also very important. These images are variously represented as fertility figures, protective symbolsd (horses, elephants) or gods. The animal and human figures sold as toys have a close affinity in shape and character to the votive images; in fact, the same image often fulfills both purposes.