My grandparents visited Afghanistan in 1979, during perhaps the last possible burst of leisurely travel possible before the Bad Years descended.
They purchased a number of interesting items, but have never been able to find out much about these small alabaster heads, which alternately fascinated and concerned me since I was 3 or thereabouts.
Anyway, I thought I’d ask the Internet. So here you are: And another angle:
And here are some highlights from a circa-77 Afghanistan tourist brochure. I will upload the whole shebang later in higher quality than cellphone camera; it’s quite fascinating.
Say “Afghanistan,” and you think of the friendliest country…
That is quite the coat. Can you still buy these, Afghanistan types?
NBD, just a fancy swimming pool and inordinately tiny 1970s-style bathing suits. In downtown Kabul. And here’s Bamiyan, pre-2001 Taliban cultural atrocity.
Based on the exaggerated facial features and decidedly non-Buddhist look of those little statues my best guess is that they are from Nuristan or somewhere thereabouts.