Margarette Jane and her Children

Margarette holds two babies.  The one she holds in her right arm is a baby girl wrapped in a lace blanket.  She clings to her son with her right arm.

Last year, I won this bottle doll by folk artist, Charisse Davis of Cyd's Heritage Dolls and Thangs.  The artist posed a question on Facebook.  Because I was the only one to attempt to answer (even though my answer was incorrect), I won the a doll of her choice.  She chose to send the above doll, Margarette and Her Children, along with the doll's handwritten story card.

Margarette (Marga) stands 13 inches. Her face is handpainted. Her hair is made of wool-type fibers. She holds her two children, Jacob Dahoney and Martha. Marga wears a tan floral blouse, tan-striped full-length skirt, with a tea-stained apron. Her body is a fabric-covered wine bottle. Marga's handwritten story card is shown below with the typewritten text immediately below:

Handwritten story card

Marga Jane Motley. Martha-child of the plantation, fathered by white man in ownership of a Mill Marga Jane worked at. And Jacob Dahoney, her other child of slavery, no knowledge of his father, clearly he was black. I love making the stories of my family in folk art dolls.

The back of the story card contains a special note to me, which is not illustrated.

This hang tag is attached to Marga's right arm.  The back reads, "Marga Jane and her Children $135."

Artist's signature and back of hang tag

Marga's back is signed and dated by the artist (2005).  Her signature (Cyd) also appears on the back of Jacob's right pants leg.

Jacob's hand-painted face is illustrated better in this close-up photograph.  His hair is the same texture as his mother's.

With her lace blanket pulled back, the side of baby Martha's hand-painted face is better visible in the above two photos.  She has no hair.

I am honored to own one of Cyd's Heritage Dolls and Thangs folk art dolls and particularly grateful to own one that represents one of the artist's ancestors.  Thank you again, Charisse!

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