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Female Figure (akua'ba)
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
An infertile woman would be advised by a priest to commission such a sculpture and care for it as if it were her baby. With the aim to induce fertility, or to ensure the birth of a healthy and beautiful daughter, the akua'ba figure is carried on the woman's back inside her wrapper. After a successful birth, the figure is placed in the priest's shrine as an offering, or it is given to the newborn as a toy.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineFemale Figure (akua'ba), late 1800s–early 1900s. Africa, West Africa, Ghana, Fante-style maker. Wood, hair, resin, and bone; overall: 42.9 x 4.6 x 5.1 cm (16 7/8 x 1 13/16 x 2 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Katherine C. White, 1975.158
