Muneca sin Rostro Faceless Dolls

Just outside the town of Moca we came across this factory on the main road. Neoarte, not just a place that sells these dolls but also other handmade crafts including furniture for the home or office. In fact they even have a bar on the premises that is frequented by the locals. You can go there for a drink and enjoy the live nightly entertainment. Henry, the owner has been in business for over a decade. The main thing about Henry is that he is University educated unlike many other Artisans in this country. He started very small and has grown his business into what it is today. Quite the spread he has! Unlike some of the other Artisans we visited, this place is quite a bit larger and much more modern and employs many people from the local area. here is the story behind the history of the Faceless Doll:  The fact that the dolls have no face reflects perfectly the reality of women in Latin America where there is a racial syncretism, a product of the conquest and colonization, as well as the arrival of slaves, including the Aboriginals. Born of a turbulent history and the mix of cultures, the Dominican people feel heir to the fusion of many tribes and races, the first of the indigenous Taino people of the island, the Spanish conquerors and that of the black slaves brought later from Africa. That’s why one of the most prized crafts to own from the Dominican Republic are the dolls with no faces, female mud faceless that where one imagines the mulatto, the dreams of another European or dark features tend to make long dresses and Creole are depicted carrying water in jars, selling fruit or offering flowers with her head covered by a scarf from Madras or a wide brimmed hat. You never know what is the feeling, the soul of this Caribbean woman without expression whatsoever, without eyes, nose, mouth, although this has been modeled with the unmistakable sensuality of Dominican women. These faceless dolls are each made individually. No two are alike. Each doll is handpainted on the bottom with the factory name and "hand made in D.R.".