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Power figure (nkisi)
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
This figure had lost its nkisi load on the belly, but now shows how the mixture of earth, resin, leaves, glass, and other items was fixed onto the wooden figure, supported by four nails. It had been the property of “the sorcerer of Mboukou.”
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit linePower figure (nkisi), late 1800s–early 1900s. Africa, Central Africa, Republic of the Congo, Kongo-style maker. Wood, feathers, organic material (including resin), iron, and possibly porcelain; overall: 29.5 x 12 x 16 cm (11 5/8 x 4 3/4 x 6 5/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, René and Odette Delenne Collection, Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund, 2010.440
