Obarima African Wall Totem Ashen

Obarima African Wall Totem Ashen by Tekura is a hand-carved African home decor sculpture rooted in the Ghanaian tradition of masks as guardians of space, community, and ancestral connection. Designed for the collector who understands that the most powerful objects in a home carry meaning that runs deeper than design.

Where it lives beautifully:

• Entryway wall: honouring the long Ghanaian tradition of the mask as guardian of a space and all who enter it
• Living room or dining room: a commanding focal point along a feature wall
• Paired with Obaa Mask Ashen: together they form a complete ancestral installation

In Ghanaian culture, masks represent a profound connection to the ancestral realm. They reinforce the importance of community, tradition, and cultural continuity. Placing a mask in a space of gathering is not merely a design choice, it is an act of cultural intention.

Obarima Ashen, is the male form of that intention, and he carries his history visibly. Carved from responsibly sourced Cedrela cedar wood in keeping with Tekura's commitment to sustainability, he stands at over six feet tall. His relief panels carry geometric patterns rooted in the Adinkra visual tradition of the Akan people, one of West Africa's most significant and ancient symbolic languages. Faced with an aluminium facade and finished in black, the surface has been deliberately distressed, the aluminium showing through the black in a quiet, silvery light that shifts as the eye moves across it. A diamond crosshatch pattern runs across the full length of the relief, intricate and unrelenting. He does not hide his age. He wears it.

Why You'll Love It

• Rooted in Ghanaian cultural tradition: In Ghana, masks have long been placed in spaces of gathering as guardians reinforcing community and continuity.
• Adinkra-inspired relief carving: The geometric patterns on the relief panels are rooted in the Adinkra visual tradition, one of the Akan people's most significant and ancient symbolic languages.
• Hand-carved by Tekura: Each piece is carved from responsibly sourced Cedrela cedar wood, honouring both the craft and the environment.
• Distressed aluminium finish: The aluminium facade beneath the black finish is deliberately revealed through distressing, creating a living surface that catches light differently at every angle.
• Monumental scale: At over six feet tall, the Black Mask commands a wall the way few objects can, without competing with the space around it.
• Pairs with Obaa: Obarima is the male expression of the Black Mask. Paired with his female counterpart Obaa Mask Ashen, they create a complete and deeply intentional installation.
• Wall-mounted 
• Limited availability

Product Details

• Material: Responsibly sourced Cedrela cedar wood with aluminium relief panels with metal work
• Artisan: Tekura Design, Ghana
• Dimensions: 13 in W x 14.17 in D x 77.17 in H
• Finish: Black with deliberately distressed aluminium facade, silvery metal showing through
• Relief pattern: Diamond crosshatch Adinkra-inspired geometric carving throughout
• Display: Wall-mounted
• Sold: Individually
• Origin: Ghana

Artisan Delivery & Care

Large-scale works require more than standard shipping. To preserve the integrity of your piece, each large-scale piece undergoes a specialised crating process from our studio to your home.

• Insured Studio-to-Door Transport: full protection for your investment
• Protective Structural Packaging: designed to maintain the finish of statement-sized works
• International Ease: for U.S. collectors, all duties and customs are paid by us; no additional fees upon delivery
• Seamless Arrival: arrives ready for immediate installation

Note: A bespoke artisan handling cost is reflected at checkout to ensure a secure, insured journey.

A mask placed in a space of gathering is not decoration. In the Ghanaian tradition, it is a declaration, that this space is protected, that those who gather here are held by something larger than themselves. Obarima carries that declaration into your home. Wherever people come together, he belongs.

Honour the ancestors. Guard the space. Bring Obarima home.