Description

Akua'ba are wooden ritual fertility dolls made by the Akan peoples of Western Ghana and nearby areas. Traditionally, these dolls are carried on the back of young women either hoping to conceive a child, or to ensure the attractiveness of the child being carried. When not in active use, the Akua'ba would be ritually washed and cared for in the traditional homestead. While this figure is called Akua’ba (Akua’s child), it is not meant to resemble a child but depicts an Akan idea of an abstracted and idealized woman in the prime of life. Due to their unique look and portable size, Akua’ba figures have become marketable tourist items and are now part of the Western visual vocabulary.