Fertility doll "akua ba" · Ghana, Ashanti · ID: 3035421
Vendu
600 €
Provenance
Maria Wyss, Basel, Switzerland (1963)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.