Akuaba
Akuaba are wooden, female fertility dolls from Ghana and the surrounding area. The best known come from the Ashanti people, whose Akuaba have large, disk-like heads. The other tribes in the region also make dolls that are typical for them (for example Fante ).
Akuaba are carved from wood and have a cylindrical body that ends in a base. The stubby arms are without hands, the neck is often carved in rings to represent the neck ornament. The back of the head is decorated, partly with a kind of hairstyle or with different motifs, for example animals or objects.
Traditionally, these dolls are carried on their backs by women who are hoping to become pregnant or, in the case of an existing pregnancy, in order to increase the attractiveness of the expected child. If the Akuaba are not being worn, they are regularly ritually washed and cared for.
Nowadays it is more likely to find a mass-produced Akuaba as a souvenir for tourists than one that has real ritual significance. The shape of the Akuaba is still used today as a general symbol of luck.
