Obaa African Wall Totem Ashen

Obaa 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 Obarima Mask Ashen: together they form a complete ancestral installation

In Ghanaian culture, masks represent a profound connection to the ancestral realm reinforcing 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.

Obaa Ashen, is the female form of that intention, and she carries her history visibly. Carved from responsibly sourced Cedrela cedar wood, in keeping with Tekura's commitment to sustainability, she stands at over six feet tall. Her 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 matte 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. She does not hide her age. She 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 matte 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 Obarima: Obaa is the female expression of the Black Mask. Paired with her male counterpart Obarima Mask Ashen, they create a complete and deeply intentional installation.
• Wall-mounted 
• Limited availability

Product Details

• Material: Responsibly sourced Cedrela cedar wood with aluminium craved 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: Square grid and circular Adinkra-inspired geometric carving
• 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. Obaa carries that declaration into your home. Wherever people come together, she belongs.

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