Asante fertility figurine

(19th C.)
The Asante sculptures are famous for their figurines of women, knows as “Akua’ba”. They are usually between 20 to 40 centimetres in height and have a big, round flat head on a stylized body. This shape fits the ideal of feminine beauty of the Akan women: a high, flat forehead, a small mouth and a long neck. The Akan people attribute supernatural powers to the sacred figurine. It stimulates the female fertility and helps to conquer infertility. Women carry it with them at all times and treat it like a real child. When the figurine has proven its worth it is added to the house altar. The small incisions in the face are meant to protect the child against the fits.