An Akan / Fanti fertility couple, Ghana. Certificate of origin and proveance.

"Among the Akan peoples of Ghana, the fertility couple holds immense cultural and spiritual significance. The duality represented in the male and female figures symbolizes not only the complementary nature of gender roles but also the essential balance that sustains the world. These figures are not simply symbolic representations but are perceived as living presences that can interact with the divine forces. The act of sculpting them is a form of ritual labor, one that connects the artist with the ancestral spirits, invoking their powers to ensure fertility, health, and social cohesion. The Fante fertility figures, in particular, serve as mediators between the physical and spiritual realms, embodying the people’s deepest hopes for growth and continuity. In the context of Akan society, fertility is seen as the primary force of life, one that extends beyond human procreation to encompass agricultural productivity, the growth of the community, and the perpetuation of the family lineage.”

— Kwesi Osei, "Art and Ritual in the Akan World," 2011.

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Height: 27 cm
Weight: 220 g