Akua Ba Asante Ghana

akuaba asante Ghana A famous legend circulates in Ghana: Akua could not have children. She consulted a diviner who told her to order a sculpture of a child, in wood (ba). He explained how to treat him, give him baths, give him gifts, feed him, carry him on his back, etc. She was mocked when she appeared in the village, but ultimately she had a beautiful baby. The tradition was followed and the akuammas (plural of akuaba) have become the most famous dolls of African art. Their goal is not only to ensure a birth, but also a beautiful child with a beautiful big head. Doran Ross in "isnt she a Doll" describes Asante dolls: they are generally cylindrical with the arm extended and have a large flat head on a ringed neck. The mouth is usually placed very low and they have breasts because Akua's child (ba) was a girl. Although they always follow the same Although they always follow the same model, these dolls are never identical. Their superb stylization makes them, among the best known objects of African art, we can distinguish recurring styles from the hands of sculptors. Here the forehead is a large concave plane. provenance: ludwig bretshneider 1909-1987 Munich germany Marchand begins in 1930 Karl Heinz krieg (sept 1934 -17 march2012 Neuenkirchen Germany merchant German collector private collection Belgium