Mossi Biiga or Doll / Fertility Figure

Neck cord, tassel, and a dignified refusal to explain.

Mossi carvers of Burkina Faso, West Africa, made this biiga, or doll, of wood and leather in the 20th century. Biiga are commonly associated with fertility and are often cared for as if they were children. This one has a smooth, rounded head above a long, tapering body that flares at the hem. A cord binds the neck and carries a small leather tassel, and the surface is dark and polished by handling. It stands on a black metal plate.

About 16 inches tall. Dark, tidy and slightly severe, like a good butler.