Ancient African Terracotta Head, Koma Culture, Ghana, 13th–18th Century Tribal Art

Antique terracotta head from the Koma culture, Upper West Region of Ghana, dating from approximately the 13th to 18th century CE.

This expressive sculptural fragment is modelled in coarse reddish terracotta with visible mineral inclusions. The face is characterised by heavy-lidded almond-shaped eyes, a broad nose, and pronounced lips. The top of the head is hollowed, a documented feature of a number of terracotta figures associated with the Koma cultural horizon.

Terracotta figures of this distinctive style were first documented in the 1980s in areas today inhabited by the Koma people, including Yikpabongo, Tantuosi, and Wumobri, as well as among the neighbouring Bulsa (Builsa). Thermoluminescence dating carried out on comparable examples has placed these works broadly between the medieval and early modern periods. These figures are generally understood to have served ritual and funerary functions, belonging to a complex and still poorly understood sculptural tradition of northern Ghana.

The wooden base is modern and added for display.

Height: 13 cm excluding the base.
Condition: Good condition, with surface wear, mineral accretions, and firing irregularities consistent with age and burial.

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