Akua'ba Fertility figure

Akua'ba also functioned as the Asante ideal of beauty, to protect against deformity or even ugliness in a child. During pregnancy, Akan women are not supposed to gaze upon anything (or anybody) physically unattractive, lest it influence the features of her own child. The traits that define the akua'ba are meant as prayers or invocations for the physical beauty of an anticipated child.