Bahamian Display Doll: "Junkanoo" Musician

This Bahamian doll is made of woven palmetto fronds, commonly referred to as straw. He is playing a type of horn typically used in celebrations of junkanoo.

Junkanoo is the Bahamian Carnival, which takes place twice a year. The festival is popular in the capital city, Nassau. Musicians, often extravagantly costumed, play instruments including horns, drums and bells as part of the celebration.


Weaving palmetto fronds began with the earliest inhabitants of the islands, the Arawak people. They primarily wove baskets and clothing. Weavers begin by collecting the young, unopened fronds at the top of the tree. The palmetto fronds are then dried, cured, and cut into strips. The strips are woven into rolls, which is the raw material that most straw workers use in their work. Early in the 1900s, weaving straw for commercial purposes gave way to weaving souvenirs for cruise ship passengers and other tourists

Source:
https://www.exnihiloartcenter.com/straw-craft#:~:text=The tradition of Bahamian straw,as clothing and head coverings.
https://www.bahamashclondon.net/default/culture/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junkanoo