Biiga

Fertility Doll

Mossi People

Burkina Faso

Mid 20th Century

Collection of Scott Lindenau - noted Architect and passionate collector of Ethnographic Art.

12” tall x 4” x 3"

Crafted from a single piece of wood by the village carver or smith, Biiga Dolls are presented to young Mossi girls as toys. 

Cylindrical in shape with a semi-circular head,  featuring a downward extension out of the forehead. Although it may look like an elephant trunk or even a phallus, it is said to imitate the hairstyle worn by unmarried Mossi girls. Etches in the wood symbolize scarification marks and the beauty of adulthood, while the full mature breasts depict the splendor of motherhood. Glass Beads adorn The neck.

Mossi girls are taught to take exceptional care of their dolls. They wash, feed and carry them around like a mother would her child. The dolls are sometimes dressed in leather clothes and decorated with cowry shells and beads.

The Mossi are a West African people who live primarily in the Volta River region of central Burkina Faso. Mossi legends trace their ancestry back to a marriage between a princess and an elephant hunter, a union that created a series of states ruled by powerful kings. The Mossi kingdoms controlled trade in the region for centuries and established extravagant courts to help in the process of governing. Although the kingdoms fell victim to French colonization in the nineteenth century, the Mossi maintain a hierarchical political system and still recognize the authority of traditional chiefs and an emperor. The Mossi are predominately farmers, and many still adhere to age-old religious traditions that honor their ancestors and nature spirits.

A fine addition to any serious collection.

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Great Earth LLC

Carbondale, Colorado

Representing an eclectic collection of Ethnographic Art & Craft  - Lovingly Assembled. 

Lifetimes of travel, passion, activism, philanthropy & genuine humanity lead to the accumulation of these wonderful objects spanning the great breadth of our World.

Presented here is a vast collection of Significant works of Art & ‘Of Culture’ craft works made to be Sold. 

Steven is an Artist, Educator and Dealer with an excellent reputation & 25 years of experience & expertise in the field of Ethnographic & World Arts.

I am proud to share this extraordinary group of Artworks. 

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