Mossi Biiga or Doll / Fertility Figure

Rounded head, short arm, and an easy slouch.

Mossi carvers of Burkina Faso, West Africa, made this wooden biiga, or fertility doll, in the 20th century. Biiga are commonly carried and tended like children, and are associated with fertility. A rounded, slightly lopsided head sits on a slender neck above a hooked arm. The body leans gently and is marked with short scratches. It ends in a chunky ring foot. The wood is a warm brown, lightly dulled with age.

About 14 inches tall. A relaxed figure in a room of stiff furniture.