Cameroon
Namji

Wood, old goomba ceramic trade beads, cowrie shells, rattan, fiber
Early-Mid 20th Century
Length: 18 inches
Idiophone – Struck Indirectly – Shaken -Rattle

A Namchi doll with double reed/wicker shakers. Among the Namchi people of Cameroon, unadorned dolls made by blacksmiths are played with by young children. When beads, bells, coins, and other ornaments are added, however, the doll becomes a surrogate baby for a woman who is having difficulty getting pregnant or for a miscarriage. The woman treats the figure like a baby, feeding it and carrying it on her back.