Mossi Biiga or Doll / Fertility Figure, Based

She has a braid, and the braid has a hole in its tip. Small details, and it all matters.

This Mossi biiga, a doll and fertility figure, was carved in Burkina Faso in the 20th century. Such dolls were given to young girls, who carried and tended them, and they remained associated with fertility as the girls grew into women. Just over eleven inches tall, the figure has a crested head with a long braid-like extension down one side. The long neck rises from a stout cylindrical body with projecting breasts and incised lines across the torso.

Handling has polished the dark brown patina. A flared base anchors it. Pick her up, gently.