Click image to view full screen
Male figure (nkisi nkondi)
✓ Authenticity guarantee · ✓ Specialist condition report · ✓ Insured worldwide shipping · ✓ Private-room viewing
This <em>nkisi nkondi</em> (power figure) lacks most of the materials that transformed it into a vessel for a spirit. Carved by sculptors, <em>minkisi </em>hosted spirits after <em>banganga</em> (priests) placed substances inside to empower them. The mirrored eyes, resin cap, and stomach chamber once contained empowering materials. After the nkisi had served its purpose the <em>nganga</em> removed the materials, stripping it of its spiritual power; the remaining sculpture was discarded. Sometimes, Kongo people removed materials as acts of anti-colonial resistance, disempowering minkisi before Europeans seized them. While we don’t know why it was disempowered, this sculpture is no longer spiritually active.
| Artist / Maker | Anonymous, Kongo artist and nganga (priest) |
|---|---|
| Date | late 1800s-early 1900s |
| Culture / Origin | Democratic Republic of Congo or Cabinda (Angola), Kongo artist and nganga (priest) |
| Medium | Wood, metalized glass, iron, organic material, ivory or plastic, and natural fiber |
| Dimensions | Overall: 46 x 25.7 x 19.2 cm (18 1/8 x 10 1/8 x 7 9/16 in.) |
| Department | African Art |
| Type | Sculpture |
About the Artist
Provenance & Source
Image & data: Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 / Public Domain.
Condition
A detailed condition report and high-resolution photography are available from our specialists in advance of the sale.
Shipping & Collection
Fine-art shipping with climate control and full insurance to over 120 countries; collection by appointment.
Buying at Matchless Pieces
Register, verify your identity, and bid online or in a private room. Buyer’s premium and taxes are shown before you confirm.
