Mossi Biiga or Doll / Fertility Figure, Based

A smooth figure with a great curved headdress leans forward on a slim stand.

This Mossi biiga doll or fertility figure, on a base is Mossi, from Burkina Faso, West Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is wood. Biiga figures are carved from wood and often have a long neck, a stylized head and a smooth, polished surface worn softer by handling. A carved standing figure with a large helmet-like head crowned by a ridged comb. The arms are slim and angled forward, the body tapers to a rounded base, and the surface is a warm reddish-brown with fine scratched lines. It is 4 inches wide, 4 deep and 13.5 high.

All head, all posture, and not a wasted line.