Ethnika.antiques
#7167 African Fali Fertility Beaded Doll Phallic Cameroon 8.5" H
#7167 African Fali Fertility Beaded Doll Phallic Cameroon 8.5" H
Regular price
$85.00 USD
Regular price
$125.00 USD
Sale price
$85.00 USD
Unit price
per
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This stunning African Fali fertility doll is adorned with multiple layers of intricate glass beads and a leather amulet. Measuring 8.5" in height, 4" in width, and 1" in depth, this doll holds a special meaning in Cameroon. Traditionally, when a young Fali man becomes engaged, he creates a doll (known as a ham pilu) from wood and embellishes it with hair, beads, and other small objects. He then presents it to his future wife, who carries it in a baby carrier on her back. This doll serves as a symbolic representation of their marriage commitment and the hopes for their future child. The man also assigns the doll a gender, indicating his preference for their first-born. The young woman takes care of the doll until the promised child is born, at which point it is carefully stored away by the couple.
