Koma Terra Cotta Funerary Figure

Clay, northern Ghana, somewhere between the 13th century and the 17th. Scholars say funerary. They are careful, as they should be.

Koma figures have been found in and around ancient burial mounds in the region, and are generally associated with funerary rites and remembrance of the dead. This terra cotta example is about four inches tall. Its form is sturdy and triangular, widening toward a broad base and narrowing to a softly pointed head. A raised ridge suggests the brow. On the front, a small arm or hand in relief, the fingers marked by short grooves.

The gritty reddish-brown clay is weathered and abraded, with tiny inclusions and old losses. It has not been tidied. Neither should you.