BoW-32 / Akua'ba - Akan (Asante), Ghana

Height: 11.5 in / 29.2 cm

ex Rob Temple, UK

Wood, pigment

This figure has two crosses carved in the back side of the head along with more common markings. Akua’ba figures with Christian symbols, such as crosses, are occasionally encountered, though they are not widely discussed in the literature. These details are generally understood as reflecting missionary influence and the growing presence of Christianity in southern Ghana during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Rather than replacing traditional beliefs, such symbols often appear to exist alongside them, suggesting a period of overlap in which Christian imagery was incorporated into established ritual forms.

$1200 plus shipping