African Arts Gallery

Fertility statuette of very schematic design, the appearance of the head of which varies according to the region. It evokes a spirit with which a relationship is established. The tubular bust, slightly bulging at the level of the abdomen, has a flat chest. The angular, stylized head evokes the female crest hairstyle, the parallel incisions, the scarifications and the braids of the ethnic group. Beautiful heterogeneous brown patina, lustrous, locally abraded. Minimal cracking.
The use of dolls by young African women is not exclusively within the initiatory context. When menstruation begins, the girl is considered a potential mother. In many ethnic groups, the search for fertility is then done by means of initiation rites. Wooden figures will then be carved, some reflecting both genders, in many cases clothed in beads and clothing. During the period of confinement, the doll, which becomes a child who asks to be fed, washed and anointed on a daily basis, becomes the girl's only companion. After the initiation, they will be carried on the women's backs, or tied around their necks. The wooden dolls (biiga), carved in their free time by the blacksmiths of Burkina Faso, are offered to girls, as to boys, by their parents. The wealthiest Mossi buy plastic dolls. If the girl does not give birth, a larger doll is sculpted to treat her like a real newborn. The doll will not be abandoned after the child is born, the mother will continue to take care of it. If the birth did not take place, the doll will be offered as an educational toy to a child. (Elisabeth L.Cameron)