Akan Commemorative Head
Twifo-Hemang People, South Central Ghana
17th – 18th century
Terracotta
3.5 x 2.5 in. / 9 x 6 cm
This type of sculpture was a representation of an ancestor and viewed as a substitute for the deceased. It was created for the formal funeral which sometimes took place months after the actual burial. Even though this was a commemorative rendition of the deceased, considered a portrait, it is a stylized resemblance of the departed, with a few specific aspects such as hairstyle, pierced ears, or a beard.
$750
