Lime dolls of the Dominican Republic

The first thing I noticed about the smooth ceramic dolls on the glass shelf at the auction house were their brown gingerbread color and their blank faces. And that they were beautifully spotless.

The eight of them looked impressive there on the shelf, arranged neatly in one long row, all with their own unique personality and pose. Each seemed to be carrying something, denoting them as work at women.

One sat surrounded by flowers, as if she were ready to sell a few. Another sat on her knees with what looked like bananas and banana leaves on her lap. Two toted water jugs on their heads and pots under their arms. And yet another held an umbrella tightly against her body.

I just had to find out who these women were. So I turned one of them over to see the bottom, hoping that there would be a maker’s mark, and there was:

“Lime. Made in Dominican Republic,” was written in black ink next to a gold-leaf label with the same name, a logo and “Santiago, R.D. Aptdo. 207.”

As I continued my preview of the auction, I found several more of the dolls on another shelf among other disparate items. Someone had apparently collected them and was now offering them up to us bidders.

I found out via Google that the dolls were made by an artist named Liliana Mera Limé (her first name was also spelled Lilliana in some places) and are called Lime dolls. The faceless dolls are said to represent the rich mix of people from all over the world who make up the Dominican Republic. (A bit of history: The country was inhabited by the Tainos people starting in the 7th century, then Christopher Columbus and the Spanish dropped in, stayed and set up their first settlement there in 1492, followed by French – whose rule was upended in a slave revolt led by Toussaint L’Overture – British, Haitian and American conquests.)

Lime made her first dolls in 1981, but has discontinued them. Faceless dolls are now made and sold by other craftspeople as souvenirs. The dolls at auction were made of red clay and glazed, and some makers also use other colors of clay, according to several websites.

The stylized dolls are patterned after local countrywomen, and are sculpted carrying water jars, selling flowers, and wearing headscarves or hats. They are said to be one of the most popular souvenirs in the country.

And the ones at auction, with their labels, were authentic Limes.