What Is an Akua'ba? The Ashanti Figure Explained

I grew up in Ghana, and the Akua'ba is one of the first carvings many Ghanaians can name. You may know it as the small wooden figure with a large, round head, a ringed neck and short outstretched arms. Here is where it comes from, what its shape means, and what to look for if you want one for your own collection.

The story of Akua

The name Akua'ba means "Akua's child." According to the Asante story, a woman named Akua could not conceive. A priest told her to have a small wooden child carved and to care for it like a real baby: carry it, feed it and put it to bed. Her neighbors laughed and called the carving "Akua's child." Akua soon became pregnant and gave birth to a daughter, and other women began to carve figures of their own.

How the figures were used

Akua'ba figures belong to the Asante (Ashanti), the best-known group of the Akan peoples of Ghana. Women carried them to help with conception, and to protect mother and child during pregnancy and birth. After a birth, a figure might be kept at a shrine or given to the child.

What the shape means

• The round head: a broad, high forehead was a mark of beauty and wisdom.
• The ringed neck: rings of fat on the neck showed a well-fed, prosperous person.
• Small marks on the face, back or head: these often had protective meanings.

Mothers hoped their children would share the figure's beauty and good character. Fante carvers, also Akan, often made a rectangular head instead of a round one.

Buying an Akua'ba today

Akua'ba figures are still carved in Ghana, and many on the market were made for sale rather than for use. That does not make them less beautiful, but it matters for price. When you buy, look for:

1. Clear photos of the back and base, where wear and marks show.
2. An honest description of age and condition, without words like "ancient" unless there is proof.
3. Beadwork and finish that match the listing photos.
4. Measurements, because sizes range from a few inches to over two feet.

Browse our current Ashanti and Akan pieces, each photographed from several sides and shipped free within the US.

Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Akua'ba figure