West Africa, North Ghana, Koma, ca. 16th century CE. A wonderfully modeled Janus totemic figure showing two heads back to back with long chins and open mouths; the heads are connected just above the noses and the eyes and ears are clustered closely together on the sides of the figure. Below is a long cylindrical taper that is suggestive of bodies with limbs, but the majority of the detail is in the heads. This example displays traits characteristic of Koma figurines including elongated heads with large coffee-bean shaped eyes and pronounced chins. Koma figures were first discovered in the 1980s during archaeological fieldwork directed by Professor Ben Kankpeyeng (University of Ghana). Created by a previously little-understood people in what is known as Koma Land, the figures are often fragmentary. Although there is a paucity of literature on how such figurines were used, scholars have suggested they were used in special ceremonies and rituals in which the spirits of the ancestors were invoked. A rare and wonderful example with a custom stand! Size: piece itself measures 4.25" W x 8.6" H (10.8 cm x 21.8 cm); 9" H (22.9 cm) with stand.

Provenance: Ex Peter Arnovick Collection

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#112255

Piece has been repaired at neck, but repair is difficult to see. A tiny hole has been drilled in the base to attach the piece to a stand. There are some small places that reveal original pigment.