corn dolly; wheat straw, plaited; shaped like ear of corn with stem end bent over to form loop; tassel of wheat heads at other end, tied with green ribbon bow; plaited circle attached perpendicularly, trimmed with wheat heads at top; 1.44 centimeter; maximum width 19 centimeters.
Donor:
Charlotte A. Johnson, Mrs. M. Lambeth, and University Appropriation
Collection place:
Fulbourn, Cambridgeshire, England
Verbatim coll. place:
England, Cambridgeshire, Fulbourn
Production place:
Fulbourn, Cambridgeshire, England
Culture or time period:
English
Maker or artist:
Mrs. M. Lambeth
Collector:
Charlotte A. Johnson
Collection date:
July 1970
Object type:
ethnography
Object class:
Dolls (figurines) and Plaited weaving
Function:
5.2 Magic: Objects Associated with Practices reflecting confidence in the ability to manipulate supernatural agencies
Accession date:
1971
Department:
Europe and western Russia (except Classical Mediterranean)
Comment:
Traditional craft figure, originally representing a ritual propitiation of the gods for fine weather, prosperity, fertility and the supply of seed for next year's harvest. Central part of this dolly is one of the oldest designs, derived from the Cornucopia, and is the one which all farmers traditionally hung in the farm house kitchen at each harvest time. In counties on the Welsh Borders, both on the English and Welsh sides, the traditional shape is trimmed in various ways, in this case with an encircling ring which possibly is a relic of ancient sun-worshipping practice, in which the sun was incorporated in many of their designs.
Loans:
S1979-1980 #37: University of California, Berkeley (January 21, 1980–May 29, 1980)