Fertility Dolls: Ndebele Tribe

I came across the Fertility Dolls website when I researching yesterday's post on the wooden fertility dolls and realized there's a beaded version. Cool! They're made by the Ndebele tribe of Southern Africa who hand bead stunningly colorful dolls.

A suitor will give one to a young woman he'd like to marry. A young woman is given one to take care of, she names the doll and takes care of it then her first born child is named after the doll.

You can purchase a sweet beaded fertility doll from their website.


(Photo credit: All photos courtesy of Fertility Dolls dot net).

The colors are stunning, don't you think?

Fertility Dolls: Ghana

Fertility dolls have a rich tradition in Africa. What I thought of as fertility dolls are the wooden dolls of Ghana. I was surprised to learn of another kind that I'll blog about tomorrow. The wooden dolls are meant to be worn by the woman wishing to become pregnant or should be placed in the bedroom. Below is one lovely example.


Asantewaa, a pair of fertility dolls made by Daniel Nyadedzor represents the brave queen mother of the Ashanti people of Ghana.

Another representation of a strong woman! I'm drawn to the shape of the doll, the oversized head and small body with pointed arms. Her face has a serene expression with the wood providing an overall texture.

What are your thoughts on this?