Mawana Hiti ,zaramo Tanzania

beautiful Mwana hiti zaramo or Kwere doll from Tanzania The doll's eyes and mouth give it a beautiful expression
its patina is deep and shiny, the wood is very dense  the size is big 
provenance
Jean Pierre Laprugne Paris

Fertility statue from Tanzania It features 'a woman represented in a very abstract form. The head is dominated by the hairstyle, which is represented as a bow shape l The thick neck rests on flat shoulders and the body is columnar with breasts and navel. The waist is represented 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 his or her initiation ritual. The function of the figure was to protect the child so that he or she would reach maturity and become fertile, in order to have healthy children. The child was expected to care for the doll as if it were a real baby, preparing it for the task of true motherhood.