A very nice older venavi figure from the Ewe people of Ghana and Togo
5.5" tall
wood, metal, pigment
early 20th century
ex Gallery L'Accrosonge, Paris
$850
"The Ewe, who live in southern Togo and Ghana are the eastern neighbors of Asante. They are probably best known for their textiles
and also for small wooden dolls called "venovi" or "venavi" which are used like the Yoruba people in Nigeria used Ibeji twin
figurines, for protection of survivor after death of a twin. Some scholars state that they are also used as children's dolls as well as
sometimes used as fertility dolls by women who keep these dolls under their mattresses or were worn under the skirts of young
women to ensure fertility. Scarifications and added clothing and strings of beads reveal family and clan religious and social
affiliations." From: Isn't S/He a Doll: Play and Ritual in African Sculpture by Elisabeth Lynn Cameron and Doran H. Ross.
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