An extraordinary ensemble representative of Thailandâ s hill tribes, these enchanting dolls by Suwit Suthamtha are truly captivating. Suthamtha is masterful at capturing every minute detail of their customary attire, where color and detailed embroidery denote place of origin as well as their attitudes towards beauty and life. Graceful and charming, these dolls are certain to enthrall the admirer of custom and tradition. Yao women belong to a tribe that places great value and decorum, whereas the Lahu are independent people and love entertainment and the easy life. The Akha are highly spiritual and see themselves as a link in the chain of life. The Lisu women are always embellishing their attires and have the best one, and the Karen are renowned for their colorful weaves, which distinguish each subgroup within the Karen population of Thailand and Burma. The Hmong create wondrous elaborate weaves and are fond of wearing their silver ornaments during ceremonies. They are devoted to the sky spirit who they believe has created their own ancient way of life. And the Paduang are a group within the Karen, and believe the longer the neck, the more beautiful the woman. Suthamtha made a number of trials before achieving the hand-crafted perfection that characterizes his work and that of the artisans that collaborate with him. "I begin by molding the shape of the head, arms and legs in clay, and kiln the pieces at 1472°F. I then paint in the skin as well as the facial features. I use wire for the body, and shape it into a human posture, I wrap it with raw cloth and use kapok seeds for stuffing. I attach the ceramic limbs and face so that they may move. Then, women working at my workshop sew their clothes, I teach them how as well as about the different hill tribe costumes. Finally, I add jewelry items made of aluminum and zinc to authenticate what I see in real life." Ceramic with a 70?cotton, 30?Dacron attire