''Akua'ba'' (sometimes spelled Akwaba or Akuba) are wooden ritual

fertility Fertility is the capability to produce offspring through reproduction following the onset of sexual maturity. The fertility rate is the average number of children born by a female during her lifetime and is quantified demographically. Fertili ...

doll A doll is a physical model, model typically of a human or humanoid character, often used as a toy for children. Dolls have also been used in traditional religious rituals throughout the world. Traditional dolls made of materials such as clay and ...

s from Southern

Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...

and nearby areas. The best known ''akua'ba'' are those of the

Fanti people The Mfantsefo or Fante ("Fanti" is an older spelling) are an Akan people. The Fante people are mainly located in the Central and Western coastal regions of Ghana. Over the last half century, due to fishing expeditions, Fante communities are foun ...

, “Fanti Dolls” whose ''akua'ba'' have large, disc-like heads. Other tribes in the West Africa region (f.ex. Kru and Igbo people) have their own distinctive style of ''akua'ba''. 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. The treatment of the ''Akua'ba'' has been described as an example of traditional beliefs that corresponds to many traditional beliefs in West African

sympathetic magic Sympathetic magic, also known as imitative magic, is a type of magic based on imitation or correspondence. Similarity and contagion James George Frazer coined the term "sympathetic magic" in '' The Golden Bough'' (1889); Richard Andree, however ...

. The Fanti/Fante are part of the Akan group of ethnicities of Ghana and Ivory Coast, who all have matrilinear lineages. The majority of their sculpture reflects their concern with fertility and children, and they are known best for their fertility dolls and maternity figures. Many Akan peoples make no great distinctions between Akuaba fertility images and figures of different configuration, size or material. Most figures are called Akuaba; there are also many small figures without "classic" Akuaba form but which are nevertheless used in identical or analogous situations. Their shrine sculptures are almost always female. All shrines are concerned either directly or indirectly with human fertility. Among the smaller sculptures is a chalk-whitened one which recalls the common practice of affecting powder-white skins for special days of worship and festivals to show reverence and devotion. Many cult images are similarly painted white. Standing female sculptures are sometimes carved with a child, but more commonly without. The standing female icon common in West African sculpture has various interpretations. In this example poise, dignity, and stability are the keynotes Today, one is more likely to see a

mass-produced Mass production, also known as flow production or continuous production, is the production of substantial amounts of standardized products in a constant flow, including and especially on assembly lines. Together with job production and batch ...

''akua'ba'' or “Fante Doll” for sale as a work of art or souvenir rather than an heirloom in ritual use. Traditional use does, however, continue in some Fan tree and other Akan areas. The form of the ''akua'ba'' has also gained currency as a general symbol of good

luck Luck is the phenomenon and belief that defines the experience of improbable events, especially improbably positive or negative ones. The naturalistic interpretation is that positive and negative events may happen at any time, both due to rand ...

. Akuaba or Fante Dolls were known to have been taken to the Americas by some enslaved Africans. They are known to have been carried by slave mothers as little deities and as a connection to their ancestral homeland of Africa. They were also secretly carried as good luck charms. Many enslaved mothers passed it to their children whenever they were separated, removed and sold from their mothers on a plantation. Fante dolls were highly sought after by Europeans who came to Africa especially during the 1800s. They became popular in many museums in Europe. Other African tribes had their own version of many different types of wood carving for use in various rituals. However, Fante culture was unique in its dedication of these beautifully carved artifacts solely for procreation, protection of families and good luck in their homesteads.

References

{{Reflist

External links

An akuaba from the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection, with description
Traditional dolls Ghanaian culture African art

See also

References

External links