Koma Terra Cotta Funerary Figure

Heavy with beads and carrying a small broom-like object, this one has dressed for business.

This Koma terra cotta funerary figure is Koma, from Northern Ghana, West Africa. Terra cotta is simply fired earthenware, and in West Africa it has been shaped into figures and vessels for well over a thousand years. Upright body with a flat-topped, banded head and large, ringed eyes. Strings of beads hang across the chest, and a patch of dotted, textured marks covers the lap. A small bristly object sits against one leg. The color is a warm orange-tan. It is 2.75 inches wide, 3.5 deep and 5.4 high.

Prepared, accessorized and clearly in charge of the schedule.