This is a rare antique Peruvian Inca Chancay Burial Doll made from handwoven, hand dyed textiles. There are in good condition for their age. It measure approx. 23 inches tall by 9 1/2 inches wide at the bottom of the dress. The baby measures 6 inches. Completely hand stitched. No machine stitch at all. This Chancay doll has no have arms or hands and the feet were made with wood twigs. Everything was made with what ever material they had in their possession. And in such good condition for its age.
The Chancay ‘dolls’ are believed to represent human beings, rather than supernatural beings (such as gods or spirits) based on the details of their costume. These details also serve to show the gender of the ‘dolls’. For example, female ‘dolls’ have netted head cloths, whilst male ones have slings. Additionally, the gender of these ‘dolls’ can be distinguished based on the patterns on their faces. Females are said to have “several variations of diagonal stepped patterns”, whilst their male counter-parts are reported to have a more standardized “pattern of three triangular sections”.
The function of the Chancay burial ‘dolls’ is unknown, and much speculation has been made regarding this subject. The fact that these ‘dolls’ have been found in graves adds another layer of complexity to this question...
