A pair of Moba bone sculptures, Northern Ghana. Signs of ritual use and age. The Moba people of northern Ghana, particularly around the areas of Bongo and the Upper East Region, produce carved figures in various materials, including wood, iron, and occasionally bone. The bone figures are relatively rare compared to wooden or iron sculptures and tend to be small, portable objects often associated with ritual or protective functions. They are typically carved from the long bones of large animals, which are carefully shaped and sometimes polished, with incised details indicating facial features, limbs, or symbolic markings.
These figures are often used as charms or mediators between the human and spiritual realms. They can serve as protective talismans within households or as elements in divination and healing practices. Their form is generally schematic, emphasizing essential human or animal features rather than naturalistic detail, in line with the Moba aesthetic that privileges symbolic potency over mimetic representation.
Chronologically, bone figures are difficult to date precisely, but stylistically they are consistent with 19th- and 20th-century Moba ritual objects. Their survival into contemporary collections is limited, as bone is less durable than wood or iron, and many ritual figures are periodically renewed or ritually destroyed.
For further reference, one might consult Paul Stoll’s studies on Upper East Ghanaian material culture and Lorna B. Longhurst’s notes on Moba and Konkomba ritual objects. MAZ07839 Height: 18 cm / 20 cm Weight: 180 g / 310 g