Koma Terra Cotta Funerary Figure

A hollow head with an open top, and fingers carefully marked.

This terra cotta funerary figure was made by the Koma people of northern Ghana between the 13th and 17th centuries. Recovered from mound sites in the Koma-Bulsa region, such figures are believed to have been connected with funerary rites.

The head is tall and cylindrical, with large ringed eyes, a small nose and a rectangular mouth. A long neck flows into a rounded torso with small breasts, and the arms fold across the belly. A notched ridge outlines the sides. Five and three quarter inches tall, gritty gray-tan clay.

Folded arms. Closed case.