Burkina Faso Mossi Fertility doll, also known as Biiga dolls, which are given and carried around by girls in the hope that the fertility powers that are held within the figures will be passed on to the girls.
They were also used as dolls for young children to play with. The dolls often show some variation of the special hairstyles worn by Mossi women. Also features scarification patterns on the body that traditionally mark passage to adulthood are represented by carved patterns. The Mossi dolls are typically carved by male blacksmiths ( who are believed to hold special powers in the community). Sometimes it is adorned with beads, cowrie shells, dressed with pieces of leather or cloth. They are carried in the fold of a garment and are cared for like a real child . The figures themselves are often rubbed with palm oil.
Origin : Burkina Faso, West Africa
Height: 25cm Width: 5cm
Material: Wood
Burkina Faso Mossi Fertility doll, also known as Biiga dolls, which are given and carried around by girls in the hope that the fertility powers that are held within the figures will be passed on to the girls.
They were also used as dolls for young children to play with. The dolls often show some variation of the special hairstyles worn by Mossi women. Also features scarification patterns on the body that traditionally mark passage to adulthood are represented by carved patterns. The Mossi dolls are typically carved by male blacksmiths ( who are believed to hold special powers in the community). Sometimes it is adorned with beads, cowrie shells, dressed with pieces of leather or cloth. They are carried in the fold of a garment and are cared for like a real child . The figures themselves are often rubbed with palm oil.
Origin : Burkina Faso, West Africa
Height: 25cm Width: 5cm
Material: Wood
