Anita
Brown, Lakota | |
16"
tall head to toe.
Back view. | |
Beaded fringed bib and earrings with conch shells. Brown braided horse hair.
Knife sheath and medicine pouch.
| |
About the ArtistAnita Brown's contribution to the preservation of her native culture is rooted in active practice and traditional knowledge transmission through her craftwork, reflecting a broader pattern seen among Native American women artists who often serve as keepers of cultural tradition and creativity within their communities. The No Face DollThe No Face doll has its origin in the corn-growing Northeastern tribes as the dolls were traditionally made of cornhusks, with darkened corn silk for the hair. As legend has it, Corn Spirit, sustainer of life, asked the Creator for more ways to help her people. The Creator formed dolls from her husks, giving the dolls a beautiful face. When the children of the Iroquois pass the dolls from village to village and from child to child, her beauty was proclaimed so often that the corn husk doll became very vain. The Creator disapproved of such behavior and so told the doll that if she was going to continue being part of the culture, she would need to develop humility. The doll agreed but couldn't help but admire her own reflection in a creek. The all-seeing Creator, sent a giant screech owl down from the sky to snatch the doll's reflection from the water. She could no longer see her face or bask in her superior beauty. So when a Northeast Native American mother gives a doll to her child, it is usually a doll with no face and the mother tells the child the legend of the Corn-Husk doll. Native Americans want their children to value the unique gifts that the Creator has given to each of them, but not to view themselves as superior to another, or to overemphasize physical appearance at the expense of spiritual and community values. Read more about Corn and Corn Maidens on our blog. Lakota No Face DollsSimilar to the Northeaster tribes, the Plains tribes often use No Face dolls to instill humility in their children. Since the Great Plains tribe members' own clothing was often elaborately covered with intricate beadwork, so were the dolls. Lakota Dolls are beautifully adorned and depending on the activity they represent, they can be outfitted with various equipment and items such as baskets, cradleboards or knives and hunting tools. Lakota Dolls are traditionally made from buckskin. The bodies are stuffed with cattail fluff or buffalo hair. The hair is usually horse hair or buffalo hair. Why do Native American dolls have long hair? As legend has it, when you die, if you don't hear your name called, you can't cross over to the other side. So, just in case you don't hear your name when it is called, if you have long hair, someone on the other side can grab your long hair and pull you over. Home | About Us | Articles | Shopping | Contact | Site Map | Search © 2025 Horsekeeping LLC © Copyright Information | |
