Koma Ceramic Funerary Figure

Seated with both hands planted on the knees, like someone waiting patiently for a very long meeting.

This funerary figure is Koma, from Northern Ghana, West Africa, and dates to the 13th – 17th century. It is terra cotta. Figures from the Koma region are known for their elongated heads and economical modeling, and they are generally linked to funerary practice. A long neck rises to a squared, flat-topped head with narrow eyes, a broad nose and pursed lips. The rounded shoulders lead to arms with banded upper sleeves, bent so that broad hands rest on the knees. It is 5 inches wide, 4 deep and 8.4 high.

The posture of somebody with all the time in the world.