Name: Ndanaka and Zuri
Made by and When: Sibahle, Rainbow Nation Collection 2018
Material: Vanilla-scented vinyl with the usual five points of articulation (head, upper arms at the shoulders, and upper legs at the body)
Marks: Sibahle Collection (on the back of the heads)
Height: 13 inches
Hair, Eyes, Mouth: Both dolls have 4C-type (tightly coiled) rooted hair styled in one Afro puff accented with an Afrocentric bow, stationary eyes with applied upper eyelashes, and closed mouths with full lips. Ndanaka has black hair and brown eyes. Zuri has blonde hair and gray eyes.
Clothes: Ndanaka’s two-piece fashion consists of a peplum top and a tulle skirt. Zuri’s dress is one piece with a tulle skirt attached to the African-print bodice. Both wear white underwear and white flat shoes.
Other: Located in the United Kingdom, the Sibhale Collection was founded by two South African women. Sibahle is a Zulu word that means “we are beautiful.” According to their website, the doll collection “was born out of the need to teach our black children to be comfortable in their own skin.” The dolls are sourced from Paola Reina of Spain. Part of Sibahle’s Rainbow Nation collection, the dolls’ names mean beauty in different African languages. Ndanaka, which means “I am Beautiful ” in Shona represents a person with vitiligo. The vitiligo extends underneath clothing-covered areas as illustrated here and here. Zuri, which means beautiful in Swahili, represents someone with albinism.
Gallery
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