Fertility doll "akua ba" · Ghana, Ashanti · ID: 3035421
Swiss Private Collection
Description
wood, shiny black patina, strings of glass beads, typical form and facial features, incised ornaments on the back, min. dam., slight traces of abrasion, socle;
these dolls are supposed to encourage fertility. It is known, that women carried them on their back before and during pregnancy and treated them as real children. They gained their magical power from a deity via the diviner’s blessing. After childbirth, they were either dedicated to the deity, placed on a shrine, or they were given to a child for playing.
The object Fertility doll “akua ba” with the object ID 3035421 was part of the auction 74th tribal art auction on September 7, 2013. The object with the lot number 75 achieved a sales price of EUR 600 with an asking price of EUR 500.
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