Akua‘ba doll, West Africa, 1880-1930

Carved wooden doll or akua‘ba, in stylized form with flat discoidal head, represents ideal of beauty, Asante, West Africa, 1880-1930

This doll is known as ‘akua‘ba’ (plural akua mma). These figures represent idealised feminine beauty as conceived by the Akan cultures of Ghana and parts of Ivory Coast in West Africa. The dolls are traditionally carried on women’s backs like a real child. This is said to aid conception and a healthy and successful birth. The name akua'ba is said to have come from the story of Akua, a young woman who was having difficulty conceiving a child. A priest advised her to carry a wooden doll on her back. She gave birth to a healthy child some time later.