Asante Standing Doll Figure Ghana

Overall Condition: Good. Most of our pieces have spent decades on at least two continents, and have been treasured by several owners.   We examine each piece carefully when we receive it and report any damage we find in our listings.  Please look carefully at the pictures which may also reveal condition and damage.

Damage/Repair: Small Cracks

Among the Akan peoples of Ghana, including the culturally related Kwahu, Fante and Asante, large and small figures such as this represent either an ancestor of a matrilineage or the ‘Queen Mother' of a local chiefdom often placed in local shrines as an indication of a sacred royal presence. Sometimes they were identified as fertility figures, most likely associated to the fertility ritual and kept in a family shrine for protection. Priests and priestesses during rituals associated to their shrine will cover their bodies with white powder to celebrate the gods. Figures in shrines will also be covered with white clay to indicate their spirituality. Female representations are important in the Asante culture as the female ancestor or Queen-Mother is the center of familial and community life and the center of political life. Figures like this will receive offerings and gifts while on her shrine.