Power figure "nkisi" ·  R. D. Congo, Songye · ID: 3033398

Description

wood, rich black patina, schematized body, the head reminding of the “kifwebe” mask type, regarding its form and the concentric grooves framing the eyes, cavity on the parting, filled with magical mass, metal tags, slightly dam.;
the multiple chiefdoms forming the Songe cultural complex are particularly known for their variety and abundance of magical figures (“mankisi”; sing. “nkisi”) which are used to alleviate a host of personal and communal problems.