Female power figure "nkisi" (pl. "mankisi") · D. R. Congo, Vili · ID: 3053641
Christie’s, London, United Kingdom, 16 October 1979, lot 220
Christie’s, London, United Kingdom, 10 November 1981, lot 26
Arno Henseler, Munich, Germany
Description
wood, pigments, glass inlay, handwritten collection label “140. Gebiet Katarackten Congo” (“140. Katarackten Congo region” ) on the underside
Comparable figures are illustrated in R. Lehuard, 1989, p. 268, ill. D 10 1–4.
The Vili people, who inhabit the region around the mouth of the Congo River (formerly Zaire), were historically part of the ancient Kingdom of Kongo, with Loango constituting a princely state. Their masks, sculptures and other objects are therefore closely related stylistically to those of their neighbouring peoples, the Kakongo, Woyo and Yombe.
A distinctive characteristic of Vili figures is the exceptional precision and strong naturalism of their execution, qualities that are also evident in the present figure, particularly in the rendering of the hands, mouth and ears.
Comparing literature
Lehuard, Raoul, Art Bakongo, Les Centres de Style, Vol. I, Arnouville 1989, p. 268, ill. D 10 1-4
Publications
Galerie Alex Vömel (ed.), Traditionelle afrikanische Kunst, Düsseldorf 1972
AHDRC: 0018534
Exhibition
Düsseldorf, Germany, Traditionelle afrikanische Kunst, Galerie Vömel, 1 May - 31 May 1972