Koma Ceramic Funerary Figure

A long neck, a gaping mouth, and a second small face held tight against the belly.

This funerary figure is Koma, from Northern Ghana, West Africa, dates to the 13th – 17th century, and is terra cotta. Koma terra cottas were first recorded from burial sites in northern Ghana in the late 20th century and are usually taken to be linked to rites for the dead, though their meaning is still debated. A tall, tapering head sits on a long neck, with bulging eyes and an open, protruding mouth. Against the chest, a smaller head with its own open mouth is cradled in the arms. The clay is pale grey-buff. It is 3 inches wide, 2 deep and 6.5 high.

Two faces, both with plenty to say.