Unity Carving – African Heritage Collection

This is an Akuaba doll. I'm not going to lie my friend and I struggled with infertility at the same time and bought one for her trip. Soon after, she became pregnant. When I heard of her positive result, I quickly ordered a copy online. Sometimes when you want something so badly, you find yourself doing everything you can to make it happen. Even if that means ordering oddly shaped female wood carvings from the internet. Akuaba dolls are wood carvings from Africa. For infertile women, it is a good luck charm and a symbol of hope. I remember the day it arrived. I broke the packaging and looked directly into the doll's eyes. She felt weightless and easy to hold while I felt so heavy and depressed inside.

Therefore, ancient African sculpture should be viewed according to the above criteria. A work should be carefully observed and, if possible, the rituals and customs of the African society identified as the place of birth should be studied. Suspicion of a sculpture or mask with no pedigree can be confirmed or dispelled by professional evaluation.

No matter how deeply entrenched the standards of Western aesthetics are, they should be set aside by African societies with the purpose of their artworks in mind. Just as art movements in Europe and Asia share certain distinctive features, art on the African continent encompasses a variety of cultures, each with its own range of craftsmanship, religion, social and cultural practices, available materials and practices. Therefore, caution and humility are required when viewing African classical art. The provenance of an item is reassuring, but not the only criterion of value. First, the appearance of the sculpture should be checked. A number of factors may point to a particular region of Africa, or even a particular society: the techniques used to work metal (in some cases) and wood (usually), and the nature of the latter, if one can determine; whether or not objects are painted Paint or oil; either rust or sharp edges. Research and attribution can also be guided by how the body is modeled. For each cultural region, specific groups can be identified through unique styles. Hence the need to look carefully; should this work be naturalistic? Are there prominent geometric lines? Are body parts particularly stylized and thus potentially highly symbolic?

"Featuring genuine African-print fabric and beads from Ghana, this handcrafted doll shows a woman braiding her hair collecting wood for her family and wearing it on her head in the traditional way. This doll is made in the Ashanti region of Ghana, home to many of our artisans."