Koma Janiform Funerary Figure

Two oval eyes and a stub of a nose, set in a head shaped like a rounded arrowhead.

This janiform funerary figure is Koma, from Northern Ghana, West Africa, and dates to the 13th to 17th century. It is terra cotta. Koma terracottas were generally modeled by hand from local clay, with features built up from added coils and pellets rather than carved away. The face here is compact: raised oval eyes, a short nose flanked by two pierced holes, and a broad lower edge that splays out at the corners. Small notched projections stand out at the sides. The surface is a rough, gritty reddish brown. It is 4.5 inches wide and 4.5 high.

Plain features, delivered with total conviction.