Koma Funerary Figure Double

A mouth open mid-announcement, and a lot of body to back it up.

This funerary figure, double, is Koma, from Northern Ghana, West Africa, and dates to the 13th to 17th century. It is terra cotta. Koma terra cotta figures come from northern Ghana and are generally linked to burial and ancestor traditions, though scholars remain cautious about the specifics. This one is a rough, rounded column with a broad face, small round eyes and an open, toothy mouth. Another form seems to rise behind it. The clay is pitted and crusted in warm brown and rust. It is 5 inches wide, 4 deep and 7 high.

It has plenty to say, and has had centuries to practice.