Mossi Biiga or Doll / Fertility Figure

A helmet of crosshatching, a long neck, and one arm held in against the body.

This Biiga or doll, a fertility figure, is Mossi, from Burkina Faso, West Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is carved wood. Mossi biiga dolls are generally associated with girls and women, and are often linked to fertility and the care of children, though meanings vary. This one has a smooth, domed head, incised with a diamond grid, set on a long, thin neck. A blocky shoulder piece carries a short arm, and the body is a slim, flaring column scratched with fine lines. The wood is dark, glossy and worn smooth. It is 1.5 inches wide, 2.5 deep and 12.4 high.

A grid for a hairstyle, and not a hair out of place.