Africa, Ghana, Fanti, 19th century / Female Figure (akuaba) / c. 1870

Africa, Ghana, Fanti, 19th century
Female Figure (akuaba)
c. 1870
View Larger Image

View Full Catalog Record Below

This image is one of over 108,000 from the AMICA Library (formerly The Art Museum Image Consortium Library- The AMICO Library™), a growing online collection of high-quality, digital art images from over 20 museums around the world. www.davidrumsey.com/amica offers subscriptions to this collection, the finest art image database available on the internet. EVERY image has full curatorial text and can be studied in depth by zooming into the smallest details from within the Image Workspace.

Preview the AMICA Library™ Public Collection in Luna Browser Now

Cultures and time periods represented range from contemporary art, to ancient Greek, Roman, and Egyptian works.
Types of works include paintings, drawings, watercolors, sculptures, costumes, jewelry, furniture, prints, photographs, textiles, decorative art, books and manuscripts.

Gain access to this incredible resource through either a monthly or a yearly subscription and search the entire collection from your desktop, compare multiple images side by side and zoom into the minute details of the images. Visit www.davidrumsey.com/amica for more information on the collection, click on the link below the revolving thumbnail to the right, or email us at amica@luna-img.com .

Creator Nationality: Africa, Ghana, Fanti, 19th century
Creator Name-CRT: Africa, Ghana, Fanti, 19th century
Title: Female Figure (akuaba)
Title Type: Primary
View: Detail
Creation Start Date: 1865
Creation End Date: 1875
Creation Date: c. 1870
Object Type: Sculpture
Classification Term: Sculpture
Materials and Techniques: wood and hair
Dimensions: Overall: 42.9cm x 4.6cm x 5.1cm
AMICA Contributor: The Cleveland Museum of Art
Owner Location: Cleveland, Ohio, USA
ID Number: 1975.158
Credit Line: Gift of Katherine C. White
Rights: http://www.clevelandart.org/museum/disclaim2.html
Style or Period: Africa, Ghana, Fanti, 19th century
Context: Akuaba dolls were carried on the backs of pregnant women (or those who hoped to conceive) as a kind of prayer for a healthy, beautiful child. Note the attention given to the head -- a tall, rectangular form with an intricate pattern on the back and topped by braided tufts of hair. Notice also the ringed neck -- a reference to creases, a supreme sign of beautiful corpulence. Many of these dolls are treated with special care for generations, becoming family heirlooms appreciated for their beauty and their reference to well-loved family members.
AMICA ID: CMA_.1975.158
AMICA Library Year: 2003
Media Metadata Rights:

AMICA PUBLIC RIGHTS: a) Access to the materials is granted for personal and non-commercial use. b) A full educational license for non-commercial use is available from Cartography Associates at www.davidrumsey.com/amica/institution_subscribe.html c) Licensed users may continue their examination of additional materials provided by Cartography Associates, and d) commercial rights are available from the rights holder.