Mossi Biiga or Doll / Fertility Figure

Honey-brown, crested, and glancing sideways.

This Mossi biiga, or fertility doll, was carved in wood in Burkina Faso, West Africa, in the 20th century. Dolls of this kind are commonly associated with fertility and often treated like children. A crest of fine crosshatching crowns the head, whose profile is clearly cut, with a chin and nose. The torso carries incised triangles, and one arm is bent at the side. A round foot grounds the piece. The surface is a warm amber-brown.

About 15 inches tall. Handsome in profile, and it knows it.