Carved wooden akua'ba

Carved wooden akua'ba 'doll', flattened face with bead strands for hair, pillar-like body, carved by expectant mothers in order that the child shall be beautiful, West African, 1840-1910

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.