There are few matters more important in African
societies than fertility. It encompassed nearly
every aspect of life crucial to the well being of
every individual. A man without a child would
suffer a break in his ancestral family worship.
Upon his death there would be no one to
perform rites to aid his soul in the spirit world.
For women, having a child was a way of raising
their social status. A young girl's whole life was
in preparation for marriage and motherhood.
Well before puberty, girls would often wear dolls
made of reed or wood as pendants. These were
not regarded as toys, but as serious objects
aiding in fertility through their magical powers.
Fertility dolls are often very charming and evoke
a loving maternal nature, as in this endearing
figure of a young girl. In seeking assistance from
spirits, an object need not obey laws of time and
space, or be restricted to events in sequence.
This girl is flushed with sexual desire,
symbolized by the red paint, yet she is already
pregnant. The intention is to encourage one in
order to promote the other. Her serene
expression is like a proud mother who has
already given birth to a healthy baby. Thus, the
three stages of procreation are seen - desire,
conception and birth, depicted very simply and
with great gentleness.
The fame of fertility dolls is based on the legend
that a woman who has worn one will give birth to
a particularly beautiful daughter. The figures
vary somewhat in style according to whether a
male or female child is desired. A girl wears it on
her back, just as she will carry her child to be!
- (PF.3496)
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