Koma Terra Cotta Funerary Figure, Based

Two faces, one body, and heavy brows on both.

This Koma terra cotta from northern Ghana, dated between the 13th and 17th centuries, is modeled with two heads side by side. Koma figures, found at mound sites in the region, are believed to have played a part in funerary practice, and they are known for their expressive, sometimes exaggerated faces. Five and a half inches tall, it shows round eyes and protruding mouths, the heads topped with coiled, rounded forms suggesting elaborate hairstyles. The shared body tapers to a point below.

The grainy, sandy clay is weathered and softened by long burial.

Neither seems inclined to look away first.