Bassa Fecondity sculpture

This fertility statue of the Bassa people of Liberia, measuring 20x22.5x88 cm, is made of natural wood and metal. She depicts a woman with an intricate braided headdress and scarifications that indicate her initiated status or maturity. These marks on the body are often associated with beauty, fertility, and social identity. This unique figure, dating from the middle of the 20th century, also serves as a protector, invoking the spirit of an ancestor to watch over the living, a central role in the spiritual and social practices of