Akuaba

Akuaba are wooden, female fertility dolls from Ghana and surrounding areas. The best known are from the people of Ashanti, whose Akuaba have large disc- like heads. Just ask the other tribes of the region typical for its dolls forth (for example Fante ).

Akuaba are carved from wood, have a cylindrical body terminating in a socket. The stub arms without hands, the neck is often carved into rings that are supposed to represent the necklace. The back of the head is decorated, some with a kind of hairstyle or with different themes, such as animals or objects.

Traditionally, these dolls are worn by women on the back, hoping to get pregnant or in the case of an existing pregnancy, in order to increase the attractiveness of the expected child. If the Akuaba just not worn, they are regularly ritually washed and cared for.

Nowadays, it is more likely to find a Akuaba of mass production as a souvenir for tourists, as has a really ritual significance. The shape of the Akuaba still stands as a universal symbol of good luck.

Websites

• Akuaba in " Metropolitan Museum of Art," including description

• Mythology (Ghana)
• Ashanti
• Fante