Asante (Ghana) Akuaba Figure Wood, beads Asante (Ghana) Akuaba Figure Wood, beads

Akuaba (akua'ba) figures or fertility dolls educate young girls about the lessons of motherhood. An akuaba figure can bring fertility to a woman hoping to have a child. It can also help to ensure a safe delivery and a physically beautiful child. The form of the figure illustrates the Asante ideal of beauty placing emphasis on the head--the place that evokes the greatest beauty. For the Asante, it is believed that the shape of the head should be a perfect circle. Facial features are usually set low in the face, causing the forehead to appear larger, which is another trait associated with beauty. To further accentuate the head, the torso is a simple column with plain outstretched arms and no legs. Additional characteristics of the akuaba figure are: narrow nose, stylized eyebrows, small mouth, and signs of scarification. Most of these figures wear beads around their waist or neck in a manner similar to the custom of Asante women. Often the figures will adorn earrings and other accessories. The name akuaba means "Akua's child." The title derives from a story about a barren woman named Akua. Desiring a child, Akua followed the instructions of the tribal priest and carried a small wooden figure on her back caring for it as if it were a living child. She eventually conceived and gave birth to a beautiful child. The akuaba figure is believed to possess powers associated with fertility and beauty and are highly regarded in African society. African women usually attend to these figures with great care; carrying akuaba figures on the back, feeding, washing, and adoring the wooden figure. Akua's first child, a girl, refers to the matrilineal nature of Akan society and as such, akuaba figures in wood are almost always female forms. Another example of an Akan fertility figure is the Fante Fertility Figure.