Akan (Ghana)

Female Shrine Sculpture

Mid 20th Century

Wood

Private Collection

        The body markings and hairstyle on this Akan female sculpture call to mind the type of decoration associated with Ghanaian women's coming of age.  This transitional period of adolescence in a young woman's life is significant because it marks the beginning of her child-bearing abilities, and recognizes her as an adult member of society.  As a matrilineal society, the Akan greatly value feminine virtues.

        The various features of this sculpture announce the figure's presence as a beautiful woman. Scarification on her stomach draws attention to her womb, while marks on her buttocks and legs enhance her sexuality, both supporting the idea that childbirth is the most spiritual and beautiful function a woman can perform. The rings around her neck represent rings of fat, which women seek to acquire once they reach maturity. In many African cultures, body fat, especially on women, is a symbol of beauty, health, abundance, and fertility. The hairstyle is believed to be one a female would wear only after she has undergone her initiation rituals.

        The Akan typically place such sculptures in a shrine in order to empower the spirit to which the shrine is dedicated.  The sculpture’s reference to women’s reproductive abilities in turn empowers the spirit.  Shrines consist of a collection of sacred objects used to honor a spirit, and are often placed within the private space of the home. The enhancement of human fertility is a widespread sub-theme of such shrines. In its cultural context, this sculpture would not be displayed as it is now, as shrine objects are almost never put on public display.

                                                                                          Becky Jarczynski '02