I walked into the Exhibits office today and saw bags and bags of what looked like little firecrackers. They always seems to have odd bulk shipments back there (fake hair, desiccated fruits, papier-mâché mummy parts), so I didn’t even question what they were doing with them.
Upon closer inspection, I realized they were worry dolls, and Courtney and Zach were shooting them with glue guns. They said it was for the exit experience of the MAYA 2012 exhibit.
To find out what exactly is going to happen in this exit experience, you will just have to go through the entrance first! (Actually, in museology terms, it’s called the “threshold experience.”)
What are worry dolls?
Doubts, fears, and worries about the future are a natural part of life. Worry dolls are part of the folklore of Guatemala that are used to deal with these concerns. According to tradition, the dolls take away your anxiety when you tell them your worries and sleep with them under your pillow.