Koma Two Headed Funerary Figure

Peaked, knobbed, and pierced where the mouth should be.

Catalogued as a two-headed funerary figure, this terra cotta was made by the Koma of Ghana between the 13th and 17th centuries. Koma figures are known from mound sites in the north of the country and are thought to relate to burial and commemoration.

The face shown is tall and peaked, rising to a knob at the crown. The eyes are coiled rolls of clay, and the small round mouth is a pierced opening beneath a broad nose. A twisted collar and a notched band encircle the base. The gritty buff-gray clay shows old breaks and wear. Six inches tall.

Face it. Then turn it around.