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| Herra Mundi Lady |
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| Origin: Lahore, Pakistan 1993 |
The Herra Mundi Ladies of Lahore have a long and intriguing history.
They have their base in the colourful downtown Anarkali Bazar.
Anarkali bazaar is the most fascinating of Lahore citys
many bazaars. The alleys and lanes of this bazaar are full of exciting wares, especially traditional crafts like leather ware,
embroidered garments, glass bangles, beaten gold and silver jewellery, creations in silk. It is named after the famous courtesan
of Akbars court called Anarkali (Pomegranate Blossom). Herra Mundi ? - There is truly a story here for
further exploration!
My dad worked in Lahore for a number of years in the early 1990's
and has lasting memories of Anarkali Bazaar where this doll was found.
| Eastern Veil |
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| Source: Abu Dhabi, 1995 |
Arabian Melody
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| Bahrain Beauty |
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| Origin: Manama, Bahrain 2001 |
This Bahrain doll above is decked out in a traditional Bahraini
costume. She was found by Dad in a shop near the
fabled Gold City, Manama, Bahrain.
Gold has an extremely strong intrinsic value in eastern cultures
and many of the bazaars and shopping centres in Bahrain have rows upon rows of gold shops.
Bahrain is at somewhat of a crossroads between arabic and
western cultures. The move towards democracy is beginning to gather pace but the proximity of a large neighbour linked by
a causway bridge is an interesting complication.
The question is how will Bahrain evolve now?
This pair on the right, come from Istanbul, Turkey. Dad
found these during a visit to the Grand Bazaar ( Kapali Carsi - Covered Bazaar) in 1992. With over 4000 shop stalls, banks
restaurants, mosques, and moneychangers, the Grand Bazaar is almost a self contained city. The visitor needs to
be ready for a fair bit of mainly good humoured barter with the stallholders who exhibit a mean streak in natural
sales talent. You may find yourself buying suits that you never knew you needed whilst drinking strong sweet turkish coffee
that could easily oil a 4x4 off roader. Dad resisted all other temptations and purchased these lovely dolls at a really "best
price"
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Belly Dancing is a strong tradition of the Middle
Eastern area and some dolls are representative of this tradition.
Salomé, was the daughter of King Herod Philip ruler
of Palestine. As the story goes: Salomé danced before King Herod Antipas, Tetrarch of Galilee (in the Castle of Machaerus).
Herod Antipas (BC-d.AD 39) loved her exotic dancing and would do just about anything to watch Salomé dance.
| The Amir Of Constantinople |
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| Origin: Istanbul, Turkey 1992 |
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| Turkish Delight |
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| Origin: Istanbul, Turkey 1992 |
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