Fertility doll "akua ba" ·  Ghana, Ashanti · ID: 3034113

Description

wood, brown patina, black paint remains, of typical form, coloured strings of glass beads, min. dam., small missing parts, slight traces of abrasion, socle;
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.