Koma Excavated Figure with One Arm

Round eyes, an open mouth and one arm, held tight against the side.

This excavated figure with one arm is Koma, from Ghana, West Africa, and dates to the 13th – 17th C. It is terra cotta. Koma terra cottas have been recovered from mounds in northern Ghana and are generally associated with burial and commemoration, though their precise use is still debated. The standing figure has a tall head with large ringed eyes, a broad nose and a wide, open mouth above a textured beard. A beaded band crosses the brow. The surviving arm runs straight down the side, and the legs are short and thick. It is 2.5 inches wide, 2.25 deep and 9 high.

Missing an arm, but not its sense of expression.