Female power figure "nkisi" ·  D. R. Congo, Bakongo · ID: 3042755

Description

wood, partly encrusted brown patina, pigment remains, mirror glass eyes, remains of black mass on the head, where the magical loading once was attached, beautiful work of carving with fine carved facial features and well-formed body, slightly dam. (base), crack, pedestal.
The “nkisi”- object is basically a container for animal, vegetable, and mineral materials known as “medicines” (“bilongo”) that expressed by their names, forms or provenance the aims that the “nkisi” was expected to achieve and the powers that enabled it to do so.