Mohave Clay Doll

ca. 1900

5.5" H x 2" L x 1.75" W 

Hand Sculped Clay Figure on a Stand with a Grass Skirt and Glass Bead Necklace

In Very Good Condition for Age and Missing Hair on Top of Head

Mohave Yuma Clay Doll is a traditional style of handcrafted pottery figurines created by Indigenous artisans from the lower Colorado River region in the American Southwest, primarily the Mojave (also spelled Mohave) and Quechan (Yuma) peoples, as well as related groups like the Cocopah. These dolls are small, stylized human effigies made from local clay, often painted with mineral or commercial pigments, and decorated with simple features like beaded earrings or facial tattoos. They represent a blend of cultural storytelling, ceremonial symbolism, and 20th-century tourist trade adaptations. 

Provenance:  From the Len and Toni Wood Private Collection, Laguna Beach, California