Koma Terra Cotta Funerary Figure

Arms thrust straight out in ribbed sleeves, the whole body shaped like a letter T.

This Koma terra cotta funerary figure is Koma, from Northern Ghana, West Africa. The Koma people of northern Ghana are known for terra cotta figures, and scholars continue to discuss how the works were originally made and used. Bright orange body with a long vertical shaft and broad, horizontal arms ending in ribbed, cone-shaped cuffs. The head is missing or broken at the top, leaving a rough, open neck. Lower down, a ridged band circles a flared base. It is 5 inches wide, 2 deep and 5 high.

Aerodynamic, if nothing else, and a bold use of a T.