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Figure (Nkishi)
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
The substances contained in its cloth-covered cranial cavity indicate that this half-figure belongs to the broad category of charms or “power objects” that the Luba call mankishi . It was used by a ritual expert and functioned in a variety of rituals dealing with healing, protection, divination, or jurisdiction. Often such power figures were carved by the ritual experts rather than by professional artists.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineFigure (Nkishi), late 1800s–early 1900s. Africa, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Luba-style maker. Wood, organic materials (including resin and soil), plant fiber, and glass beads; overall: 22.4 x 10.7 x 12.4 cm (8 13/16 x 4 3/16 x 4 7/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Alvin N. Haas, 1974.212
