A standing/squatting Fanti female figure in quintessential Akan/Ashanti/Fanti style in light color, posed with mature, maternal elegance. The pose of the female figure and her protuberant stomach suggest the specific purpose for use in a shrine context as a fertility figure.
The Fanti (or Fante) are one of the several Akan-speaking peoples whose desire for children is conveyed through rituals that are symbolized by an iconic stylized female figure called an akua’ba.
Fanti figures are also typically lighter in complexion, a reflection of a prized social aesthetic value of lighter (often bleached) skin. Standing female sculptures, like the one depicted here, are a common form of Fanti art.
The Fanti have matrilineal lineages and are known for their fertility and child-related sculpture. It is women who, as procreators, shoulder the responsibility for perpetuating the lineage.
Height: 14 ¾" x Width: 5" x Depth: 5"
