Bahamian Display Doll
Collection: Everyday Connections
Object Category: Dolls
Object Type: Display Dolls
Country: Bahamas
Continent: North America
Geographic Region: Caribbean
Materials: Straw
width: 7 in;
height: 9 in;
depth: 2 in
This Bahamian doll is made of woven palmetto fronds, commonly referred to as straw.
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.