Mossi Biiga or Doll / Fertility Figure

Darker than midnight, with a lean toward the light.

Mossi carvers of Burkina Faso, West Africa, made this biiga, or fertility doll, of wood and leather in the 20th century. Biiga are commonly cared for as children and associated with fertility. A smooth, narrow head tilts forward on a tall, flaring body, with a small shoulder ridge and a few incised marks. The surface is a deep brown-black, glossy where hands have worn it and cracked in a few fine lines.

About 16 inches tall. Quiet, stern and very photogenic.