Mawana Hiti Zaramo,kwere Tanzania

beautiful Mwana hiti ,Zaramo,Kwere doll Tanzania
nice patina the doll has eyes and mouth  which give her a nice expression 
Provenance
Pierre Dartevelle Belgiumcollected during his trips in tanzania in the 70 ties 80 ties 
Emmanuel Dehan Belgium
Fertility statue from Tanzania It features a woman represented in a very abstract form. The head is dominated by the hairstyle which is depicted as an arc shape l The thick neck rests on flat shoulders and the body is column shaped with breasts and navel. The waist is shown as a small flared base. Known as Mwana Hiti, meaning "child of the wood", these figures were prepared by ritual specialists to be given to a child during their initiation ritual. The function of the figure was to protect the child so that he reached maturity and became fertile in order to have healthy children. The child was supposed to care for her doll as if it were a real baby, thus preparing her for the task of real motherhood.