Dolls created byMoroccan and Saharan children

Document made for the seminars at theFacultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales

Programa de Educación Inicial y Primera Infancia

Buenos Aires

October 2010

celebrating children’s creativityin their self made toys froma multicultural perspective

www.sanatoyplay.org

Jean-Pierre Rossie

eighteen-months-old girl with one of

her first dollsmade with a

piece of cactus

Anti-Atlas2006

centuries old doll playwith snail shells representing the dolls

Anti-Atlas, 2002

creating dolls is most often done by girls who use themfor games of marriage, household games and

games staging female activities

game of marriage, Anti-Atlas, 2005

mistress of ceremonies

with a tube of pomade as frame

Anti-Atlas, 2007

unless indicated otherwise the

dolls werecreated by girls

bridegroom and bride

clothed in the traditional way

Anti-Atlas2006

the groom carries a dagger and a bag

with herbs as magical protection

the bride has her

face coveredagainst the

evil eye

bride and bridegroom, Anti-Atlas, 2006the bride's face was blackened because it is a black girl

Sahrawi dolls and nomad encampment, Western Sahara, 2008

tent with dolls in the playground, Western Sahara, 2008

Sahrawi bride and bridegroom, Western Sahara, 2008

doll’s frame made of a bone fixed in a bundle of rags

Sahrawi mother, father and child, Western Sahara, 2008

Sahrawi babiesmade

with rags

Western Sahara

2008

the blue bag filled with herbs

represents protection magic

pregnant mother and her daughter, Anti-Atlas, 2006

cross shaped reed frame

pregnant woman and her

husband

Anti-Atlas2006

mother with baby and father sitting in a chair, Anti-Atlas, 2007

old man

Anti-Atlas2001

mother with baby and father, Anti-Atlas, 2007

exceptionally the legs are cut out at the base of the reed

mother with baby and small daughter, Anti-Atlas, 2007

sweet wrappers have been used as dresses

mother and baby with

an embroidered

face

Anti-Atlas2007

cradle fora baby

Anti-Atlas 2006

rag baby in its cradle, Anti-Atlas, 2006 bag of herbs and shells as protective magic

husband and wife

in bed

Anti-Atlas 2006

childless woman

Anti-Atlas2006

poor woman

Anti-Atlas2006

rich family with race car

Anti-Atlas, 2004

servant-woman of the rich family

Anti-Atlas

2006

woman going to the market

Anti-Atlas2006

doll wearinga kerchief

made froma plastic bag

Anti-Atlas2005

dolls with their head cut out of a piece of polystyrene

Anti-Atlas, 2002 Anti-Atlas, 2008

Belghenja dollmade by

women to be walked in

processionduring the

ritual forobtaining rain

the boy holds Belghenja dolls

made by girls

Anti-Atlas2007

the Belghenjadolls are made

with a wooden spoon

Anti-Atlas2007

girl carrying her Belghenja doll when playingthe ritual for

obtaining rain

Anti-Atlas2007

Belghenja doll made with a lamp surrounded by silver paper, Anti-Atlas, 2007

Baba Ashurand his wife

(left)

Doukkala2008

frame witha bone of the

aïd el kebir sheep

Ashura is a Moroccan feast lasting for ten days at which it is customary to give sweets and presents to children. It falls on the tenth day of the first month of the Muslim calendar. A PowerPoint presentation Ashura: a children’s feast

in Morocco is available on www.sanatoyplay.org (see Documentation Center: Multimedia: Rossie 2008)

mother and daughter dressed for a feast, Anti-Atlas, 2006

the fibulas closing the large white veil are cut out of an aluminum sheet

grandmotherin her

festive dress

Anti-Atlas2006

Sahrawi dancer

WesternSahara

2007

arm movements represented by

a curved branch

spectator of the Sahrawi dance

Western Sahara, 2007

old and young woman dressed for the ahwash dance Anti-Atlas, 2006

young man participating in the ahiddus danceAnti-Atlas, 2005

mistress and weavers with daughters at the loom, Anti-Atlas, 2007

female dressmaker, Anti-Atlas, 2006

cloths of the female dressmaker, Anti-Atlas, 2006

girl at the hospital, mother and female doctor (right) Anti-Atlas, 2007

policemen, Anti-Atlas, 2007

clothing of paper packaging frame of plastified wire

tourist at the beach, Anti-Atlas, 2007

second hand plastic doll dressed by girl umbrella and reclining chair of plastified iron wire and wool threads

emigrants’ daughter

visiting the homeland

Anti-Atlas2006

plastic dollwith a dress

made by the girl

car made by a boy

home for handicapped and poor people, Anti-Atlas, 2007

the home’s mistress and girl with artificial legs, Anti-Atlas, 2007

dolls representing handicaped children, Anti-Atlas, 2007

dolls representing handicaped children, Anti-Atlas, 2007

doll representing

a performerin the

ahwash dance

High Atlas1992

boys make dolls only seldom

schoolgirls dressed in wrapping papermade by boys in the first year of primary school

but denigrated by girls as too rudimentary Anti-Atlas, 2007

mother and baby made

by a boy

Anti-Atlas2006

a boy ofeight years created

thismale doll witha package of

medicine

Anti-Atlas2008

traditional doll doll made by young woman made by girl to be sold to tourists

Moroccan Sahara, 1996 Moroccan Sahara, 2001

Anti-Atlas 1996 Anti-Atlas, 2006

plastic dolls dressed by girls

fantasy doll

Anti-Atlas, 2007

© Jean-Pierre Rossie

all photos taken by the authorexcept the photos of slides 3, 6, 33, 35 and 49taken by Khalija Jariaa (the woman on slide 31)