A-Bol-Nimba Huggie Earrings

A-Bol and Nimba are two entities honoured by the Baga people of Guinea. A-Bol is the goddess of fertility, while a majestic mask-like headdress represents Nimba. Together, they symbolise prosperity and abundant harvests.

A-Bol embodies the ideal of womanhood within the Baga community. She oversees fertility and motherhood, blesses newborns, supports women seeking her protection, and presides over all agricultural ceremonies.

During harvest celebrations and weddings, men wear the Nimba mask. Donning a full raffia costume, they carry the mask on their shoulders, looking out through holes located between the headdress's long, flat breasts, which represent breastfeeding children, as well as scarifications that symbolise grains. These masks can rise more than eight feet above the ground and often weigh over eighty pounds. Most display a standardised pattern of facial scarification. Nimba is one of the largest (size) and most renowned collections of masks in Africa.