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Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Clay-nation

Previously, we covered that some dolls in Granny's doll cabinet are not dolls at all.
We've had a paper award, [blog 4/1/11],
   



disembodied heads and wooden arms [2/23/11],
 


and toy soldiers [blog 3/11/11].


There are also clay statues. They measure in between 2 1/2- 3 inches tall, and who knows where they came from?


#1 The Guru
He's been walking the world so long, his legs are cracked at the knees. A nomad with no cares, all he travels with is a sack on his back. His identity remains anonymous, yet his pedestal bears the fingerprint of his maker.




                                                                     #2 The Mother
In all the world, no one loves their child like this statuette. She has been hugging the dear baby for at least a century. The child is content, the Mother is content. You can tell by her soft smile that carrying this baby for a century is no burden, simply a labor of love; a tribute to Mother's everywhere.



#3 & 4 The Foreigners
Their nationality is up for guesses, but their costume details are a marvel. Although the poor woman is missing a foot, she manages to stand on her own amidst folds of fabric and a sash made of minute colored clays, rolled as thin as a toothpick.
Look at the sandals on their feet. While the man dons fringe and hat decorations, each have tiny toes and fingers, and small, plaintive faces.
They are off to a celebration! A traditional gathering in which he will dance with abandon, and she will group with other women, clucking, chatting and passing their speciality dishes.



Although I personally never gave these figures much notice, I can now see why they were chosen by Granny to live honorably in her doll cabinet. Each one bears the artisans devotion to his craft. 
 Each one has a story..... if you stop by the cabinet long enough to notice.




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