Fante Standing Figure with Arms Raised, Based

Palms up. Both forearms lifted. A gift is being offered, and the offering is the pose.

Fante carvers of Ghana made this standing figure in the 20th century, eleven inches tall on its base. Among the Fante and their Akan neighbors, figures took part in shrines and in honoring ancestors, often in gestures of offering or address. The head is long and serene beneath a tall, flat-topped headdress. The legs stand apart.

The surface is pale and chalky, with traces of blue pigment and a dry, weathered texture. A long natural crack runs down the torso. Leave it as it is. It’s a plain record of age.