Corn Dolly "There is a rather contemporary-made English corn dolly figure, whose roots harken back to early European matriarchal societies where agriculture and the fertility of crops were supposedly assured by the sacrifices of such symbols. One can imagine that long ago the corn dollies so offered were not so very different from this one made today. In fact, the tradition of corn dollies is still strongly embedded in the folk memories and folk art of people from northern Sweden to the shores of the Mediterranean, wherever agriculture replaced the hunting/fishing societies of prehistory. Many such examples can be seen in this Collection. However, it is really the widespread survival of this tradition that continues to excite my curiosity and imagination." Lloyd Cotsen, "Looking Behind My Eye," in The Extraordinary in the Ordinary, p. 15. A. 1995.93.1853 Corn Dolly Fast Bergholt, near Ipswich, England Wheat Straw 1980s 24 1/2 x 7 1/2" (62 1/4 x 19 cm.)