Fertility doll "akua ba" ·  Ghana, Ashanti · ID: 3033241

Description

wood, blackish brown patina, typical form, white string of glass beads, rep. (left arm), min. dam., minor missing parts (left breast), slight traces of abrasion;
these dolls are supposed to encourage fertility. Women used to carry them on their back before and during pregnancy and used to treat 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.