Akua'ba Fertility figure
Akua'ba
Exhibits: Cycle of Life
Tribes: Akan peoples, Asante group
Location: Ghana
Period: 20th Century
Materials: Wood
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H:
37.00cm
SKU:
3016
This classic appearance of the Asante Akua'ba fertility doll is distinctive: it features a disk-shaped head with the face confined to the bottom half, the mouth is positioned at the very bottom. Eyes like coffee beans framed by long arching eyebrows. A ringed neck supports the head. Short arms project at right angle, body is truncated, legless. It presents tiny breasts, which makes it clear that the figure is indeed female, expressing Asante idea about the continuity of the cycle of life, through the Matrilineage. The Akua'ba is usually referred to as a fertility figure for its role in assuring successful pregnancy (E. Cameron:1996: 44-48).
