doll

Unknown artist

Late 18th Century

beeswax, wool, cotton, textile, glass, human hair, bark, metal, wood, mammal skin

Canadian Museum of History

A doll made of beeswax, wool, cotton, glass, human hair, bark, metal, wood, and mammal skin is dressed in a patchwork robe with beaded trim. Two small objects, a stick and a cup-like item, are placed to its right. "My people have always made dolls," was the answer given by a First Nations doll artist when asked about the history of Native doll making. Since First Nations dolls were usually made of natural materials, such as wood, leather, fur and corn husk, which decompose in temperate climates, few examples have survived. Dolls made from corn cobs and husks were popular among the Six Nations peoples of the Lake Ontario region, who cultivated corn. Cornhusk dolls depicted playing lacrosse or doing the hoop dance reflected their culture. As early as…