My tribute to Yemaya began as a Malibu Barbie.  Her dreadlocks are fashioned of hand-spun, kettle-dyed merino wool, and her outfit was reconstructed from seven different classic Barbie gowns which were then pieced together and sewn by hand into a single garment.  Around her neck is a strand of plastic shells (strangely enough, an actual Barbie accessory).  Her altar is assembled from an old wooden clock case salvaged from a junkyard and embellished with a rusted chain that symbolizes both the captivity of the Middle Passage and the resilience of its survivors.