Mossi Biiga or Doll / Fertility Figure, Based

A long drink of carved wood, with a crest.

Mossi carvers of Burkina Faso, West Africa, made this wooden biiga, or fertility doll, in the 20th century. Dolls of this type are commonly handled and carried, and associated with fertility and the care of children. A ridged crest crowns a small head, and one arm droops along the elongated torso, which carries a few incised lines. The figure widens into a flared foot. The surface is a deep, dry brown with a satin sheen on the high points.

About 14 inches tall. Elegant on a shelf, awkward only in a crowd.