Mossi Biiga or Doll / Fertility Figure

A head swept back like a gust of wind, with a long neck to match.

This Biiga or doll, a fertility figure, is Mossi, from Burkina Faso, West Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is carved wood. Mossi biiga dolls are generally carried by girls and women, and they are often associated with fertility and the hope for children, though practices vary. This one has a broad, flat headpiece with incised chevron lines, a very long cylindrical neck, and a small angular chest. A single incised line wraps the narrow body, which rests on a stepped base. The wood has a deep, dark polish. It is 2 inches wide, 4 deep and 11.6 high.

All the weight is in the hairdo.