Akua’ba are wooden fertility figures from Ghana and nearby areas in West Africa. The best known examples are those of the Asante people, whose akua’ba have large, disc-like heads. Traditionally, women carry these figures on their backs to ensure the conception of a child or to ensure the attractiveness of a child being carried. Web resource here.
Akua’ba. Asante peoples. Wood, glass beads, plant fiber, pigment. Mid-20th c. National Museum of African Art, Washington, D.C.