Name: Yoromong and Ami
Made by and When: Philip Heath for Gotz, A World of Children series, 1994
Material: Vinyl (mostly) with cloth from waist to upper thighs and mid-upper arms
Marks: Yoromong’s head is marked 193-20 / PSH. Ami’s head is marked PSH / 194-20. The back of Yoromong and Ami’s shoulder plates is marked PSH.
Height: 24 inches
Hair, Eyes, Mouth: Yoromong has black texturized molded hair. Ami has a black wig styled in a curly ponytail held with a muslin tie. Four braids extend from Ami’s hairline over her muslin headband. Both have brown glass crystal stationary eyes with painted upper eyelashes and closed mouths with full lips.
Clothes: Yoromong wears a navy blue and black African-print jacket that matches the print of Ami’s top, pants, and skirt; off white gauze balloon bottom pants, brown and tan anklet, an additional off-white bead bracelet, leather necklace with a coin that reads on the front, BUNDESREPUBLIK DEUTCHLAND 1976; on the back the coin reads, 2 PFENNING. Yoromong’s tree branch staff replaces his original staff. Ami wears a navy blue and black African-print top, pants, and wrap skirt and an off-white gauze jacket; dark brown and tan beaded bracelet, leather cord necklace with coin/medal pendant that reads on the front, HUNG BOH LOMBEI VEN -1/4 FL 1859. Both dolls have bare feet. The gourds Ami holds replace the original gourd that was worn around the neck.
Other: Described on their original boxes as “folklore-designer dolls not suitable for play dolls,” Yoromong and Ami were made in Germany by Gotz, limited to one year’s production. According to Black Dolls Book II by Myla Perkins, porcelain versions of Yoromong were made in ultra-limited editions. The 20-inch-tall porcelain Yoromong was made in 1992 in an edition of 25. Porcelain Ami was 10 inches tall in an edition of 25.
Gallery
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