The baby’s in the bag with this traditional Ashanti
fertility doll, or akuaba. Typically
carried wrapped in a woman’s skirt and pressed against her back to mimic the
position of an infant, the features of these akuaba correspond to cultural
ideals of beauty, which they’re supposed to encourage in the baby-to-be. Interestingly
enough, akuaba dolls are always female, the reason being that Akan society is
matrilineal and it’s the ladies who perpetuate the family line. As for the name
“akuaba,” it means “Akua’s child,”
and refers to the legend of a woman by that name.
More
Once upon a time there was a woman named Akua who
wanted desperately to have a child, but was unable to conceive. Consulting a
priest, she was told to commission the carving of a wooden doll and treat the
fig...
Read More
Once upon a time there was a woman named Akua who
wanted desperately to have a child, but was unable to conceive. Consulting a
priest, she was told to commission the carving of a wooden doll and treat the
figurine like it was the real deal. Laughed at by her neighbors, who teasingly called
the carving akuaba, or “Akua’s
child,” Akua got the last laugh when she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl.
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Details and Dimensions
Wood
10.7" H, 4.5" W
