Power figure "nkisi" / "nkishi" ·  D. R. Congo, Songye · ID: 3051100

Description

wood, glass beads, brass nails, base

The figure shows a black, in places heavily sweating sacrificial patina. The magical charge in the belly has been preserved and it still carries some of the paraphernalia around its neck, with which it was once equipped by the ritual specialist ‘nganga’ (animal horn, nut, bone pieces).

Such small “mankisi” were owned by an individual or at the most a family and served to meet personal expectations and wishes (fertility, good harvest, success in hunting, protection against witchcraft or lightning). In order to receive support the figures were charged with magical ingredients “bijmba”, which were combined by the ritualist “nganga” according to the relevant needs.

Once the figure was no longer deemed efficacious, it would be disposed of. Often the charm would be removed and destroyed by a ritualist, leaving only the carved figure, which now had no value to the Songye at all, as it had no longer had any functional purpose.

The object Power figure “nkisi” / “nkishi” with the object ID 3051100 was last part of the auction Auction 103 at November 16, 2024 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house. The object with the lot number 390 achieved a sales price of EUR 12,000.

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Publications

Wipplinger, Hans-Peter (Hg.), "Fremde Götter. Faszination Afrika und Ozeanien", Köln 2016, p. 87 (left)

Exhibition

Wien, Leopold Museum: "Fremde Götter. Faszination Afrika und Ozeanien", 23. September 2016 - 9. Januar 2017