Nsodie/Mma
“Since the late sixteenth century, Akan women potters have created ceramic heads and sometimes complete figures to commemorate deceased royals and individuals of high status. During the funeral, family members placed the terracotta portraits of the deceased in a sacred grove near the cemetery, sometimes with representations of other family members. These sculptures served as the focal point for funerary rites in which libations and food were offered to the ancestors.” Galerie Walu, Zurich.
An Asante memorial head (Nsodie) 19th c. Asante, Ghana. Terracotta. H 20.5 cm. Thermoluminescent age determination: 180 years (+/- 20%). This portrait feels like it has captured the individual’s likeness.
Akan terracotta memorial head (Mma)(Nsodie), Ghana. Idealized heads were made by woman posthumously to honor and commemorate the individual after death. 7.5” H. Terracotta, pigment, break and repair at neck. Provenance: Howard S. Rose Gallery, NYC. From a private Florida collection by descent to grandson. Acquired from Parke-Bernet Galleries, Inc., NYC. June 19, 1968. Lot 195.
Another beautifully rendered Akan-Twi memorial head “Nsodie”, Ghana. Terracotta (partial missing sections). Height 8 3/4in (22.5cm). Although the portrait is an idealized representation, careful attention was given to the individual’s likeness and identity such as her elaborate hairstyle and scarification. “Since the late sixteenth century, Akan women potters have created ceramic heads and sometimes complete figures to commemorate deceased royals and individuals of high status. During the funeral, family members placed the terracotta portraits of the deceased in a sacred grove near the cemetery, sometimes with representations of other family members. These sculptures served as the focal point for funerary rites in which libations and food were offered to the ancestors.” Provenance: Arte Primitivo, Howard S. Rose Gallery NYC, Bonhams NYC, California Private Collection, L'Huillier & Associes, Paris, M. Letu Collection, France
Akan-Twi memorial head "Nsodie", Ghana. Terracotta (partial missing sections). Height 6.25 in. Ex Robert and Nancy Nooter Collection, Washington, D.C.
