Fertility Figure
19th century
Southern Sotho Lesotho or South Africa
Figures like this one, made of wood, gourds, sinew, or fibers and decorated with beads, were cherished possessions for Southern Sotho women. Bridegrooms presented them to their brides to celebrate shared intentions to build a family. Women used the beaded figures to promote and honor fertility, and they would also hang them in a place of respect in the family home to be enjoyed as an object of artistry and colorful beauty.
Glass beads, cloth, and fibre