Power figure "nkishi" against small pox · D. R. Congo, Songye · ID: 3052403
Paul & Ursula Seiler, Basel, Switzerland
Swiss Private Collection
Adrian Schlag, Brussels, Belgium
Jacques Germain, Montreal, Canada
Zemanek-Münster, Würzburg, 28 May 2016, lot 461
Description
wood, cowries, metal, missing parts (both heels)
Smaller “nkishi” like the present one are made for the private use of an individual, customized to his or her personal needs by the “nganga”. These privately commissioned works were kept in their owner’s home. In order to motivate the ancestors to provide assistance in a personal crisis, suppliants offer prayers and sacrifices to them.
The metal pegs present figure is stud with, were said to have been intended as protection from smallpox, which occured epidemically between 1920 and 1930 and which was attributed to witchcraft. The magical ingredients filled into the metal sleeves and drilled ear holes were thought to enhance the effectiveness of the “nkishi”.
Comparing literature
Roy, Christopher D., Kilengi, Afrikanische Kunst aus der Sammlung Bareiss, München 1997, ill. 110
Publications
Germain, Jacques, Art Ancien de l'Afrique Noire V, Montreal 2010, p. 70 f.
AHDRC: 0039712