# Fertility Figure

- By: Southern Sotho (Lesotho or South Africa)
- Date: 19th century
- Medium: Glass beads, cloth, and fibre
- Classification: Decorative Arts
- Dimensions: 23 × 18 cm (9 × 7 in.)
- Culture: South Africa
- Credit line: African Decorative Arts Fund
- Museum: [Art Institute of Chicago](https://www.artic.edu/artworks/260026)
- Rights: [Public domain (CC0)](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- Picture: https://www.artic.edu/iiif/2/35f873ec-ee37-9c3c-61e9-d3132f2b83ef/full/!1920,1080/0/default.jpg
- Who can see it: Tweens profiles and older (museums give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the museum's own words)

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.

Description © Art Institute of Chicago, CC BY 4.0