Rosewood Vishnu / Laxshmi Bommai Doll From Kerala - 1930'S

These vintage dolls which are usually in a pair as a bride and groom form a part of the Golu display done in households during Navaratri.

These Golu  Marapachi Bommai are proud possessions and have a lot of sentiment attached to them and are generally passed on by mothers to the newlywed couple for their children to play with. These wood carved dolls given as a part of wedding trousseau also are meant to initiate the new bride's yearly  Golu celebration in her new home. The dolls are in naked form and are decorated with clothes and finery by children as their play things. Great collectible to add touch of vintage to your home decor.

The dolls are generally kept unclothed but are sometimes decorated with clothes and finery by children as their play things.

Marapachi Bommai (meaning Wooden dolls) are a legacy passed on from one generation to another in the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. These vintage dolls which are usually in a pair as a bride and groom are displayed in living rooms of houses. During Navaratri they form a part of the Golu display done in households. These sentimental figures are given by mothers to newlywed couples as wedding presents, and represent the happily married bride and groom.

For a similar example see Page 122 of The Everyday Art of India by Robert F. Bussabarger & Betty Dashew Robins.