Mossi Biiga or Doll / Fertility Figure, Based

A sunburst for a head, and a stocky body written all over.

Mossi carvers of Burkina Faso, West Africa, made this biiga, or fertility doll, in wood in the 20th century. Dolls of this type are commonly carried and cared for by girls and women, and are associated with fertility and the hope of children. A fan-shaped head with radiating lines holds a small round face. The thick torso is covered in fine incised marks, and the figure stands on a wide round base bound with cord. The wood is pale and dry.

About 12 inches tall. A figure with a lot to say, written small.