Ένα κεφάλι από πηλό τύπου terra cotta. - Akan - Γκάνα (χωρίς τιμή ασφαλείας)

Memorial Head (nsodie / ntiri)
Ghana, Kumasi region,
Terracotta
Height: approx. 11 cm (without stand)

This small head, modelled in coarse, reddish-brown terracotta, belongs to the Akan tradition of funerary memorial sculpture in Ghana. Despite its height of only approximately twelve centimetres, the sculpture possesses a remarkably monumental presence. Its expressive power derives less from a naturalistic rendering of the human face than from a radical condensation of its essential forms.

Rising from a strong, approximately cylindrical neck, the elongated, rounded head is markedly tilted backwards. Seen from the front, the face appears broad and almost circular, whereas the profile reveals the unusual elongation and backward inclination of the cranium. This tension between compact frontality and an extended silhouette is fundamental to the sculptural character of the work.

The physiognomy is reduced to a few concise and emphatic features. Beneath the only faintly indicated eye and brow area, the short, strongly modelled nose projects prominently. Two deeply pierced nostrils provide the most pronounced accents of the face. The mouth is rendered as a narrow horizontal incision. The rounded ears, applied to either side of the head, are similarly defined by deep openings. Eyes, nose, mouth, and ears are thus not anatomically elaborated, but articulated primarily through raised volumes and incisions in the clay.

The treatment of the cranium is particularly noteworthy. On the left side and towards the back of the head are several small ring- and knot-like applications and depressions. Their precise significance cannot be established without further information concerning the object's provenance. They may, however, relate to a stylized coiffure, scarification, or other forms of individual identification. In Akan memorial sculpture, hairstyles, cicatrization marks, and other distinctive details could serve to differentiate otherwise idealized representations and to indicate aspects of the identity or social status of the person commemorated.

The surface is of particular aesthetic importance. The porous, heavily tempered clay contains numerous pale mineral inclusions and displays irregularities, abrasion, and minor losses. The modelling retains a palpable sense of direct engagement with the material. In contrast to the smooth and courtly refinement of many Akan memorial heads, the present work consequently possesses an elemental, almost archaic presence. The slight asymmetry of the facial features further enhances this impression.

The pronounced backward inclination of the head also creates an unusual sense of tension. The face appears to turn upwards, and its expression changes considerably according to the viewing angle. Seen frontally, it appears calm and self-contained; in profile, it assumes an almost remote or transcendent quality. It is precisely this combination of extreme formal reduction, powerful volume, and upward-directed posture that gives the small sculpture its remarkable presence.

Function and Cultural Context

Terracotta heads and figures played an important role in Akan practices of commemorating the deceased. Memorial heads known as nsodie or ntiri could be created posthumously for prominent individuals, particularly members of chiefly, royal, or otherwise high-ranking families. They were not portraits in the modern European sense. Rather, individualized characteristics were combined with an idealized conception of the personality and social position of the deceased.

Following funerary ceremonies, such portraits could be placed at a sacred commemorative site associated with the cemetery known as an asensie, literally a “place of pots.” Together with other heads, figures, and ceramic vessels, they formed ensembles preserving the memory of deceased individuals and their lineages. These sites could subsequently be visited on particular occasions for prayers, libations, and offerings, thereby maintaining a relationship between the living and the ancestors.

The Akan tradition of memorial sculpture in terracotta can be traced back at least to the seventeenth century. One of its most remarkable characteristics is its considerable stylistic diversity. Carefully idealized and symmetrical heads coexist with flattened, elongated, and highly abstracted forms. Historical sources and art-historical research have also associated the production of Akan funerary terracottas particularly with female artists and potters.

For a possible attribution to the Ashanti Region, memorial heads associated with Fomena and Kumawu provide important points of comparison. The Saint Louis Art Museum preserves an eighteenth-century head attributed to Fomena as well as a head associated with Kumawu and dated 1740–1820. These works also demonstrate the considerable degree of regional and individual variation found within Akan terracotta sculpture.

Selected Literature and Comparative Works

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Nsodie (Memorial Head), Akan, Twifo-Heman traditional area, Ghana, 17th–mid-18th century, terracotta, inv. no. 1978.412.563.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Male ntiri (Memorial Head), Akan, probably Fomena, Adanse traditional area, Ghana, probably 17th century, terracotta, inv. no. 1978.412.352.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Memorial Head, Akan, Aowin traditional area, Ghana, 18th century, terracotta, inv. no. 2018.925.1.

Saint Louis Art Museum, Memorial Head, Akan, associated with Fomena, Ashanti Region, Ghana, 18th century, terracotta, inv. no. 283:1982.

Saint Louis Art Museum, Memorial Head, Akan, associated with Kumawu, Ashanti Region, Ghana, 1740–1820, terracotta, inv. no. 285:1982.

Informant Doku

Some of the information is generated by artificial intelligence and is based on published sources from the fields of ethnography, archaeology, and art history.

Inv. No. MAZ22639

Legal Framework

Under the 1970 UNESCO Convention in combination with the Kulturgutschutz Gesetz (KGSG) any claim for the restitution of cultural property becomes time-barred three years after the competent authorities of the State of origin obtain knowledge of the object’s location and the identity of its possessor.
All bronzes and terracotta items offered have been publicly exhibited in Wolfgang Jaenicke Gallery since 2001. Organisations such as DIGITAL BENIN and academic institutions such as the Technical University of Berlin, which have been intensively involved in restitution-reseaches (translocation-project) over the past seven years, are aware of our work, have inspected large parts of our collection and have visited us in our dependance in Lomé, Togo, among other places, to learn about the international Art trade on site. Furthermore, the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) in Abuja, Nigeria, has been informed about our collection. In no case in the past have there been restitution claims against private institutions such as the Wolfgang Jaenicke Gallery

Our Gallery addresses these structural challenges through a policy of maximum transparency and documentation. Should any questions or uncertainties arise, we invite you to contact us. Each matter will be reviewed diligently using all available resources.