Ashanti Akuaba wooden figure from Ghana.

Figure of African origin, hand-carved by the Akan people of the Ashanti region. Akua’ba are ritual fertility dolls. Hand-carved from a single piece of tropical wood. The cheeks and forehead are decorated with pewter metal accents with light wear. Signs of use due to the passage of time.

These dolls, called Akua’ba Ashanti, are used in fertility rituals by women of the Ashanti ethnic group (Ghana). Traditionally, these dolls are worn on the backs of women who are pregnant or who wish to become pregnant. They have a schematic representation of their ideals of beauty: round face, small mouth and small eyes, long neck and thin eyebrows. Today they are also considered a symbol of good luck.