Koma Ceramic Funerary Figure, Based

A fringed beard, a stubby nose and a grin full of character.

This funerary figure, based, is Koma, from Northern Ghana, West Africa, and dates to the 13th to 17th century. It is terra cotta. Bearded faces appear often among Koma heads, and some scholars have taken them to represent elders, though this remains speculative. The open top is ringed by a band of short incised marks over heavy-lidded eyes. A small round nose sits above wide, smiling lips, and below them a fringe of pierced clay forms a beard. Patches of lighter orange show through the darker surface of the long tapering body. It is 7.25 inches high and 2.5 wide.

Elder statesman energy, at any age.