“The carvings of Ashanti labeled akua’ba In the Twi language the word akua means “child born on Wednesday” and ba means “child.” The figure, worn by women in the back of the waistcloth, had two functions: first, to insure a good birth and also to impart the beauty of the statue to the child and, second, to help a woman become pregnant. … Akua’ba are often known as “dolls” but on in the last twenty years, under European influence, have become playthings”