Dressed to brave the extreme cold weather of the high mountains, this doll represents women form the Yao hill tribe. Dressed snugly, her attire is recreated with careful consideration by Suwit Suthamtha and the artisans that work with him. The Yao, or Mien, are a unique hill tribe - known for the high value they place on propriety, decorum and dignified manners. They much prefer to talk and listen to folk tales than singing and dancing during celebrations. The Yao easily adopt children, whether form their own tribe or outside tribes such as the Shan, Laotian or Thai. Suthamtha made a number of trials before achieving the handcrafted 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.""