Papago Doll By Chepa Franco

ca. 1940

6.5"h x 5" x 4" 

Hand Made and Dressed in Fabric with Black Hair and Woven Basket from San Xavier

Excellent Condition

Chepa Franco (1901–1980), a renowned Tohono O'odham (formerly known as Papago) artist from the San Xavier del Bac district near Tucson, Arizona, is celebrated for her handmade folk art dolls. These dolls, often created in collaboration with her husband Domingo Franco (1896–1966), depict everyday scenes from Tohono O'odham life, blending traditional storytelling with unique materials sourced from the Sonoran Desert. San Xavier refers to the historic Mission San Xavier del Bac on the Tohono O'odham Nation's San Xavier Reservation, where the Francos lived and farmed in Franco Village, a small community near the mission.

With original note on bottom: "Papago Doll made and dressed by Chepa Franco, San Xavier. Seated on the ground in traditional fashion, the woman is making a large basket of yucca. In front of her is a bowl of water into which she dips the yucca and bear grass (coil) on the ground. The woman is carved from saguaro rib, her hands can be moved up and down, and the base is of cholla."