Koma Terra Cotta Funerary Figure, Based

Barely five inches, and the face has gone. What remains is the shape.

The Koma people of Ghana made this terra cotta funerary figure between the 13th and 17th centuries. Koma figures were found in burial mounds in northern Ghana and are generally believed to have been made for funerary rites. It is a simple cone with a raised band encircling the upper part and a small knob at the top. Any facial features have softened away over time.

The pinkish-gray clay has a grainy, weathered surface.

Time, it turns out, is a fine editor.