Akuaba Fertility Doll, Akan Carved Sese Wood, 25cm

A carved wooden Akuaba figure, 25cm tall, with the large flat disc head of the best known Akan form, a ringed body and a beaded necklace at the throat. Akuaba means Akua's child. The name comes from an Akan account of a woman called Akua who could not conceive, was advised at a shrine to have a small figure carved and to carry and care for it as a child, and who later gave birth. Her neighbours are said to have greeted the baby as Akua's child, and the figures have carried the name since. They stand for motherhood, for healthy children and for a family line continuing. The carving follows the conventions rather than inventing them. The head is the flat disc that most people picture when they think of an akuaba, the forehead is high, which is read as wisdom, and the neck and body are ringed, which is read as health and wellbeing. The face is small and still against the size of the head, which is the whole effect of the form. Akuaba are carved by Akan peoples across Ghana, the Asante and the Fante among them. This gallery works from Cape Coast, which is in Fante country. It stands on its own base. The maker gives the size as 25 by 10cm. This is sold as a carved figure and a piece of Akan art. It is hand carved from a natural material, so the grain and the finish differ from one to the next, and the beaded necklace is strung separately and sits loose at the throat. Dust it with a dry soft cloth and keep it out of direct sun.