Loading, please wait...
Details
LOT 2372
African Wooden 'Akuaba Doll' Fertility Figure
ASHANTI TRIBE, 20TH CENTURY A.D.
12 in. (250 grams, 30.5 cm).
Carved from dark-coloured, lightweight wood in traditional form and dyed dark brown with large, round head with a plain hairstyle, large eyes and zig-zag lines beneath, extending down the back and abdomen representing the typical tribal scarification marks. [No Reserve]
Provenance
From Ghana, West Africa.
Ex private collection of Mr.N.J., Leicester, UK.
From the property of a late Lincolnshire, UK, gentleman.
Footnotes
Among the Ashanti people in Ghana, women hoping for offspring carry these ‘Akuaba dolls’ in their clothes. Traditionally, these ‘Akuaba’ have a large, round, flat head that is reminiscent of its origin as a representation of the moon goddess, which is associated with fertility. Once the ‘Akuaba’ figure has fulfilled its purpose, the mother of the desired child places it on her domestic altar, where it is worshipped in a shrine, or she passes it on to the next generation.
CONDITIONVETTING:
TimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
AUCTIONS:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
RELATED LOTS
-
Central African Clay Smoking Pipe
Tikar Tribe, late 19th-early 20th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £7
With decoration to the top of the bowl and an embedded wooden stem with leather binding, secured by twine; repair to the stem. 152 grams, 23.6 cm
From Cameroon, Central Africa. From an old Dorset, UK, specialist collection. From the property of a late Lincolnshire, UK, gentleman.
From the Cameroon -
West African Squatting Stone Figure Pair
Kissi Tribe, early 20th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £7
Carved stone statues (twins) from Sierra Leone; two steatite anthropomorphic carvings, one male and one female, both with hands wrapped around the knees. 2.55 kg total, 20-23.5 cm
From Sierra Lione, West Africa. From an old Norwich, UK, collection. From the property of a late Lincolnshire, UK, gentleman.
The Kissi as early as the 15th century, revered soapstone (steatite) anthropomorphic carvings, which are found in fields and rivers in the area centered around Sewa and Mano rivers. The Kissi people call them Pomdo (Pombo), which mean "the deceased". Some of their carvings are extremely old. These statues were the abodes of the spirits of their ancestors. In order to find out which ancestor a statue represented; a man’s dreams were analyzed with the help of the diviner. At festivities the statue was wrapped in cotton upon which sacrificial blood had been poured. The owner (the guardian of the statue) placed it on the family altar; hence it was thought to be the family’s protector against sickness. It was also consulted before a new undertaking was planned. The statues were believed to have supernatural power and were used in rice cultivation. Remarkably, the descendants of the Kissi people still keep up the tradition of stone carving. -
African Decorated Clay Spindle Whorl Collection
Mali, circa 10th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £27
Each discoid in plan and lentoid in section with central perforation and incised geometric ornament. 320 grams total, 50-54 mm
Ex private Oxford ethnographical collection. From the property of a late Lincolnshire, UK, gentleman.
