African Dodger was an early carnival game, in which African-Americans would be forced to stick their heads through a canvas curtain and attempt to dodge objects tossed at them by the players. In the 1870's, a new alternative to this questionable practice became wooden target heads. Piece has what we believe to be original paint and comes with an early handmade shelf for displaying and an original hand-stitched baseball marked "African Dodger No. 25 McKinnon Sporting Goods" used to toss at figure. Figure also has two holes in mouth where rods may have been placed, converting the figure to a possible ring toss game. A superb example of early American carnival art. A rare opportunity to purchase an iconic 19th century carving. This beautiful example of the African Dodger Head has some very slight age cracks - very minimal considering the age of this piece and the nature of travelling carnivals. Condition: (Good - Very Good). Dimensions: Largest: 17" x 12 - 1/2" x 8".