Koma Ceramic Funerary Figure

A reptilian head on a human body, hands out front as if showing off the fingernails.

This funerary figure is Koma, from Northern Ghana, West Africa, and dates to the 13th to 17th century, in terra cotta. Koma figures are generally linked to burial contexts in northern Ghana, though researchers remain cautious about their exact use. This one has a long, flat-faced head with round, bulging eyes and a wide mouth. Beaded lines trace the neck and chest, and a small face appears on the torso. Both arms extend forward, ending in large mitten-like hands with grooved fingers. A short, fringed band sits below the chest. It is 2.25 inches wide, 2.75 deep and 4.25 high.

Hard to tell who is more surprised, the figure or the viewer.