Aklama Figurine

"Of all the artistic forms produced and used by the Ewe peoples of southeastern Ghana, none remains as obscure [...] as their corpus for personal religious statuettes dedicated to helper spirits. Know as "Aklama kpakpewo" or simply "Aklama" among the Ewe, this sculptural genre consists predominently of miniature human figures, with an appreciable number of animal and inanimate forms as well [...]. These forms typically range in height from five to ten inches, tough some very large examples have also been documents. Said to be highly private and sacred objects, Aklama are dedicated to personal spiritual protection and achievement and boast the same level of intimacy with their owners as the Igbo Ikenga and Yoruba Ile Ori. The latter two are better documented African visual forms also tied to personal succes. However, what distingues an Aklama sculpture from Ikenga or Ile Ori is the fact that its respective affiliate spirit is much more specialized and often performs narrowly defined function, such as aiding devotees in tradings, craft-making, hunting, fishing, and managing love and other human relationships. Wealth acquisition and childbearing are additional quotidian concerns that undergird the patronage of Aklama. Given these highly specific functions, it is not unsual for a person to have a relationship with multiple Aklama deities at the same time." Bibliography: Nii O. Quarcoopome, Aklama-Helper Spirits of the Ewe and Dangme, Studienstiftung Horst Antes, Karlsruhe, 2016, p. 37