Carved Wooden Statue of a Man | India

This carved wooden statue of a man is a Marapachi Doll from Andhra Pradesh in South India.

The man is standing attentively with arms akimbo. He has a strong Aryan nose, large earrings and decorative clothing over his shoulders and loins, jewellery on his chest and headgear.
The carving on his shoulders suggests armour but there are no other similar protective features. Perhaps those carvings represent feathers or pleated fabric epaulettes.

These dolls are symbolic marriage gifts and often dressed up in clothes by children using them as toys. They make ritual appearances at Dussehra and Navratri festivals

This statue is carved from one piece of wood - possibly silk cotton wood or red wood - and is finely detailed.

Would make a good pair with the female standing figure.

Dimensions: height 35cm