Mossi Biiga or Doll / Fertility Figure

A fine-haired head sits above a long robed body on a wide round base.

This biiga, a doll or fertility figure is Mossi, from Burkina Faso, West Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is carved wood. The Mossi people of Burkina Faso make small carved figures called biiga, and girls in particular are generally known to carry and care for them. A tall carved figure with a rounded head covered in incised hair lines and a long, columnar body marked with faint cut lines. Short arms are folded at the chest, and a stepped round foot supports it. It is 1.8 inches wide, 2 deep and 9 high.

Dignified and long-limbed, with a haircut to match.