Carved wooden akua‘ba doll

Made:
1890-1910 in Ghana
maker:
Ashanti people
Carved wooden akua‘ba doll Carved wooden akua‘ba doll Carved wooden akua‘ba doll Carved wooden akua‘ba doll Carved wooden akua‘ba doll Carved wooden akua‘ba doll Carved wooden akua‘ba doll Carved wooden akua‘ba doll Carved wooden akua‘ba doll
Carved wooden akua‘ba doll Carved wooden akua‘ba doll Carved wooden akua‘ba doll Carved wooden akua‘ba doll Carved wooden akua‘ba doll Carved wooden akua‘ba doll Carved wooden akua‘ba doll Carved wooden akua‘ba doll Carved wooden akua‘ba doll

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Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

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Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

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Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

License

Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

License

Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

License

Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

License

Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

License

Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

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Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Carved wooden doll or akua‘ba with characteristic flat oval head on pillar shaped body, carried by women, representation of beauty, Asante people, Ghana, 1890-1910

This doll is known as ‘akua‘ba’ (plural akua mma). It represents beauty as conceived by the Asante people of Ghana, 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 mma is said to have come from the story of Akua. She was an Asante woman 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. The distinctive shape of the doll is repeated throughout Asante art.

Details

Category:
Ethnography and Folk Medicine
Collection:
Sir Henry Wellcome's Museum Collection
Object Number:
A137555
Materials:
wood, decoration, glass, beads and decoration, cord
Measurements:
overall: 295 mm x 110 mm x 53 mm, .22 kg
type:
doll
credit:
Foster

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