Doll / Poupée - (Kirdi) Bana and Fali people, NE Nigeria and N Cameroon

Description

Doll /Poupée – Bana and Fali people, NE Nigeria and Northern Cameroon
Many accounts trace the Fali's origins to the
Sao civilization which flourished on Lake Chad from the 10th century to the 16th centuries.
The Fali people trace their ancestry to the Ngomma,who founded the ancient capital of Timpil.
The Fali are sometimes referred to as "Kirdi", meaning
pagan
, a prerogative term given by the neighboring Muslim Fulani, and also used to describe up to 25 other cultures.
Among the Fali people, when a young man becomes engaged, he makes a doll (
ham pilu
) from wood and decorates it with hair, beads, and other small objects. He then provides the doll for his bride-to-be.
In turn, she carries the doll on her back. The doll is a token symbol of their arranged future marriage commitments and represents their future (first) child. The desired gender is also given as the young woman cares for the doll until the time the first-born is actually conceived.
Once successful conception occurs, the couple carefully secure and store the doll away.
Condition:
(see photos)
Twin doll is approximately 9.2 inches tall x 4.5 inches wide x 3.4 inches deep.
Estimated around the mid-20
th
century, possibly 1940s to 1950s era.
Very strong evidence; vetted / authentic showing signs of use.
Possesses a coin from
‘The Confederation of Nigeria 1959’,
and although the other coin is hard to read, it reveals it is from
‘British West Africa, a tenth of a penny’ …
Composed of wood, glass beads, coins, leather, natural fibers and fresh water cowrie shells.
International buyers, the cost of shipping will be higher.