Fertility doll "akua ba" ·  Ghana, Fante · ID: 3037407

Description

wood, dark brown patina, remains of kaolin, strings of glass beads, animal hair, typical armless cylindrical trunk with elongated board-shaped flattened head, incised scarification marks backside, min. dam., small missing parts, base;
such dolls are said to have forces to support human fertility. They received their magical power from a deity via the diviner’s blessing. Childless women used to carry them with them and treated them like real children. After fulfilling their “mission” 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 3037407 was last part of the auction 78th tribal art auction at October 18, 2014 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house and had the lot number 86.

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Publications

Bofinger, Brigitte & Wolfgang, Puppen aus Afrika, Stuttgart 2006, p. 38