Beautiful vintage Indian hand-carved wooden mother and child figure, displaying strong traditional folk-art character and detailed hand workmanship.
The sculpture depicts a prominent standing female figure carrying a small child on her shoulder/upper side, with additional smaller figural forms incorporated around the lower sides. The central woman is richly detailed with large stylized eyes, traditional jewelry and necklace patterns, carved clothing, bracelets and an impressive long decorated braid running down the back.
The front shows extensive geometric and linear hand-carved ornamentation across the clothing and jewelry. The pronounced facial features, elongated proportions and simplified carving technique give the piece an appealing Indian folk / vernacular art appearance.
The figure relates broadly to the collecting category of Marapachi Bommai and traditional Indian wooden dolls, which are associated with South Indian wooden-doll traditions and Golu/Navaratri displays. 1stDibs
The National Crafts Museum also documents Indian wooden mother-and-child figures as a recognized traditional subject in Indian woodcraft. National Crafts Museum
A distinctive collectible for an Indian folk art, wooden doll, mother-and-child sculpture, ethnographic art or traditional craft collection.
Approximate size: 2.5 inches wide × 0.5 inch thick × 8.5 inches tall.