Akuaa'ba fertility doll; Ashante style [object]
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Title |
Akuaa'ba fertility doll; Ashante style [object] |
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Description |
Reproduction ; 13' Black wood; The Asante peoples of Ghana, West Africa, make the Akuaa'ba dolls. These dolls, along with Asante wooden stools, are the most widely recognized forms of Asanti art. As legend has it, Akua, a woman who was barren and wished to have a child, consulted a priest. Upon his advice she commissioned a wooden figurine, which was then blessed by the priest. The woman cared for the Akuaa'ba as if it were a real child. Eventually, she became pregnant. Because inheritance is through the female side of the family, it is more desirable to give birth to a baby girl. For this reason, nearly all Akuaa'ba figurines are female. When the figurine has served its purpose, it might be returned to the priest or placed on a shrine. The form and coloring of the Akuaa'ba represent Akan ideals of feminine beauty: the high forehead, rings of fat around the neck, small mouth, and prominent eyebrows. |
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Subject |
Ashante people; Woodwork; Women in art; Art, Ashanti; Art, Ghanaian; Africa, West. |
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Rights |
Giertz Education Center @ the Krannert Art Museum. |
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Replicas and Objects of the Giertz Education Center, Krannert Art Museum
