Guinea Bissau: a typical ‘bone doll’ of the Balanta, with a ‘child’ on its back, also made out of animal bone. Richly adorned with leather straps, glass beads and cowries.
With approximately half a million people, the Balanta are the largest ethnic group in the west African country Guinea Bissau, which lies on the Atlantic coast and on nearby islands. A smaller number of the Balanta also live in Senegal and Gambia. Typical for the Balanta are such ‘dolls’ made out of animal bone (probably from a domestic pig). These dolls belong to the category of fertility dolls, which are frequently encountered in west Africa (amongst the Mossi, Ibo, Ibibio etc.). Amongst the Balanta in Guinea Bissau, women who wish to have children carry these dolls in their clothing on their back.
Another aspect is noteworthy on this current, typical ‘bone doll’ of the Balanta: it is a representation of a mother and child. For the mother, the large ‘bone doll’, displays another small doll as a ‘child’ on her back. The ‘child’ consists of a smaller piece of animal bone, and is tightly connected to its ‘mother’ by a thick wrapping of leather straps. Additionally, this interesting ‘mother-child doll’ is decorated with a chain of glass beads, a metal ring (below), as well as with thin leather strips with large, white and black glass beads, pierced cowrie shells and old, British colonial coins (dates stamped on the coins: 1936, 1943 and 1959). These decorative bundles at the sides, made of leather strips, probably symbolise the arms and legs of the ‘mother’. A very interesting piece, with visibly old and shiny usage patina.


Height: 30 cm (the ‘mother’); 14.5 cm (the ‘child’).
First half to mid-20th century.

Provenance: Viennese private collection.

Lit.: ’Dolls for play and ritual’, catalogue of the Africa Museum Berg en Dal, Holland, ill. p. 29