Koma Excavated Figure with Arms Raised Holding Basket on Head

Both arms up, a basket balanced on the head, and a face that suggests the load is heavier than expected.

This excavated figure with arms raised holding basket on head is Koma, from Ghana, West Africa, and dates to the 13th – 17th century. It is terra cotta. Koma terra cottas come from burial mounds in northern Ghana, generally associated with funerary practice. Here a figure with round eyes, a broad snout-like face and small ears raises both arms in loops to steady a tall container on its head. The body widens into a skirt-like base. The clay is a pale, earthy grey-buff. It is 6.5 inches wide, 5 deep and 11.5 high.

Some burdens are carried with remarkable good grace.