Fetish Figure ‘Nkisi’

Bakongo, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Late 19th - Early 20th century

Wood, Pigments

14cm Tall

Provenance:

Ladislas Segy, 1956 (includes certificate)

Private New York collection, acquired from the above

Pace African and Oceanic Art, New York

In the precolonial Bakongo culture, fetish figures were incredibly common among individuals and diviners. Called ‘Nkisi’, these statues were normally made of wood and were believed to hold a spirit which could be called upon to assist in various societal and personal issues such as disease, conflicts, bad luck, and bewitching. The wooden core would be adorned with multimedia applications such as glass, resin, fiber, metal, and various organic materials. The present example is a rather small one, with the original charge likely stripped to ‘desanctify’ the figure. It still retains the glass eyes and original surface.