This is a rare example of stone figurative sculpture from the Toma people, who inhabit the border region of Guinea and Liberia, where they are called Loma. It is identified as Toma primarily by the simplified face, of which the flat ovoid plane, short nose, slit eyes, and ridged brow appear on Toma wooden masks. While these latter are common to the Poro men's society, figurative sculpture was privately owned and associated with divination or protection against sorcery. Alternatively, this statue may derive from the practice of neighboring Kissi and others, who unearthed small steatite human images while farming and look on them as ancient reminders of their forefathers.

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