Fante Wood Fertility Fetish: Female

A tall flat paddle of a head sits on a small body with three round marks.

This fertility fetish, female, is Fante, from Ghana, West Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is wood. Carved figures with flat, disc or paddle shaped heads are generally associated with fertility traditions among the Akan peoples of Ghana, including the Fante. This one has a tall trapezoid head in pale grain, with a small, finely cut face at its base. A short ringed neck leads to a plain cylindrical body, marked with two small round breasts and a navel. A rounded foot stands on a black base. It is 2 inches wide, 1.5 deep and 8 high.

A lot of forehead, and the face still manages to hold its own.