Figure magique "nkisi" / "nkishi"
Erwin & Susanne Melchardt, Vienna, Austria
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.