Male and Female Pottery Mojave Figurines [SOLD]

This pair of Mojave dolls appears to have been made as a pair and have managed to stay together for the past hundred years.  They are spectacular in design.  She has her hands in front of her and he has his by his side.  Their faces are painted in the traditional male and female tattoo style worn by the Mojave men and women.  They both have long hair trailing in the back—probably horse hair. 

Archaeological records are relatively rare concerning Mojave pottery as the custom has been to destroy everything associated with the dead, sometimes being cremated with the dead.  The earliest known collected figurine was in 1854 but no record of its use or intended use was documented.  There is no documentation before the beginning of the 20th century on doll figurines.  In the beginning of the 20th century, Mojave girls were observed playing with pottery dolls but they did not have clothing or beadwork.

After the train arrived in Needles, California, in 1883, Mojave women began selling wood and souvenir ceramics to the tourists who had a 40-minute layover at the train depot.  The now famous Mojave clay dolls began making an appearance at that time.  Generally, the dolls are painted in ochre with body and facial tattoos like those worn by the Mojave men and women.  Appropriate tattoos placed on the dolls were gender specific.

Condition: excellent condition for their age

Provenance: these Male and Female Pottery Mojave Figurines from a gentleman collector

Recommended Reading:  Mojave Pottery, Mojave People: The Dillingham Collection of Mojave Ceramics by Peter T. Furst and Jill L. Furst