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The doll selected for Aisamah's Originals is of the Darice Craft Designer, 15' undressed black adult doll, made in China. Sister Aisamah uses her dolls, not only to share the beauty offered of her talent in her artistic apparel designs. She also introduces a respect for diversity, as well as a variety of dress reflecting the global Muslim woman. 

Each doll models its originality captured by its dress design, material, color theme, style, and featuring its own Dear Beautiful Name & FYI Lesson. She uniquely expresses the individuality of the Islamic culture of dress as embraced by the African-American Muslim Woman. 

As an educational tool, Sister Aisamah uses her dolls to stimulate positive communication, to channel correct teaching and proper information of the spread of Al-Islam.  The approach is also used as a means to discourage the negative perception that the Muslim Woman's lifestyle is that of being uneducated, being abused, or living in oppression. Instead, she shares the importance of recognizing the woman as the vital creation she is, enhanced even more so by culture and diversity that respects the valued lifestyle of the practicing Muslim.


In 1700, the term doll came to represent a plaything. But historically it has held the connotation of religious or spiritual item. The craft of doll has a long history with its origins beginning in Africa around religious ceremonies.

The original idea of dolls was a symbolic representation of the person. Only later on did it become a socialization tool. Dolls have often been found in Egyptian graves dating back to 2000 BC. Egyptian tombs of wealthy families have included pottery dolls. Dolls placed in these graves leads some to believe that they were cherished possessions. Countries in Africa such as South Africa, Ghana, and the Ivory Coast still make use of the dolls for spiritual purposes, producing stilt walker and fertility dolls. 

Internationally, dolls of black people have been greatly preferred and crafted in Australia, Brazil, Britain, Italy, England. 


In 1865 the first American doll-manufacturing enterprise was founded, and at least ten similar operations were functioning in the United States by 1900. These firms imported French or German bisque and composition heads and limbs for assembly with domestically produced bodies.

In 1913 the Kewpie, one of the first American character dolls (dolls fashioned to resemble real or fictional personages), was introduced. These chubby-faced figures with pointed heads became very popular. Raggedy Ann was created in 1918. 

To combat a market of non representative media images, early in 19th century Marcus Garvey, founder of the Universal Negro Improvement Association, founded the first African American doll manufacturing company under his Negro Corporation. This is the first time the slogan "black is beautiful" was marketed. The black doll market continues to grow today as African-Americans are developing doll consciousness.

Although the industry of toy production itself is changing to mostly electronic items, dolls remain a presence. Dolls represent culture, identity and history. It is these nostalgic and sentimental values of dolls as keepsakes from childhood which attracts most collectors. The average collector has about 1200 dolls in their possession according to the National Association of American Doll Artists.

 
 
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