Koma Terra Cotta Funerary Figure, Based

Wide-eyed and gaunt, arms flared, with a chain of small beads at the neck.

This Koma terra cotta funerary figure on a base is Koma, from Northern Ghana, West Africa. Terra cotta means baked earth, and a figure of this kind is modeled by hand from clay and then fired, so shaping marks often remain visible. Narrow, standing body with a long head, huge oval eyes and a pursed, open mouth. A fine string of beads hangs from the neck, the arms flare outward, and a small piece sits across the waist. The surface is pale and sandy. It is 5 inches wide, 4 deep and 11.5 high.

A very big stare for a very slender frame.