Figurative and animal scultpures in terra cotta were produced by peoples inhabitating the Inland Niger Delta between the 11th and 17th centuries. Since the majority of these terra cotta works emerged during the 1970s and '80s via the market, as opposed to archaeological excavation, little is known about the sculptures' intended function or original context.

Works that were the result of excavation were found in the floors and walls of domestic and shrine-like interiors, suggesting that these sculptures had protective or ritual functions.