Fertility doll - Akuaba - Ashanti - Ghana

Fertility dolls Akua Ba - Ashanti - Ghana

Very beautiful and fine Akuaba Ashanti, light wood.

33.5 cm 35.5 cm with the base


Fertility dolls (Akua-ba) are very widespread and sought after for their protective virtues.
They are carried on the backs of women, wrapped in clothing before marriage and throughout pregnancy.
The doll must be worn on certain days, sometimes placed on the family altar; the expectant mother must also absorb potions and bathe or wash herself with infusions. Once the child is born, what happens to the dolls varies greatly. Some are given as a sign of gratitude to the healer who commissioned their making. He adds them to his altar, a large number being the sign of his power.