Power Figure (Nkisi N'Kondi: Mangaaka)
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.The sacred matter that consecrated a Mangaaka figure was concentrated in the stomach area. The interior walls of the stomach receptacle were covered with a thick layer of resin in anticipation of the addition of medicinal contents. The resin was also used to create a series of vertical and horizontal partitions within the cavity to form compartments. Once the abdominal cavity was filled, its exterior was completely covered with the resin mixture. A large cowrie shell, Cypraea stercoraria, was then impressed into the soft, pliable resin at the front with its aperture facing the viewer. Some examples, like this one, feature mirrors rather than shells. Finally, directly above the abdominal packet, a large nail was hammered into the wood in order to symbolically fix it in place.
Artwork Details
- Title: Power Figure (Nkisi N'Kondi: Mangaaka)
- Date: 19th century, inventoried 1915
- Geography: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Chiloango River region; Republic of the Congo; Angola, Cabinda
- Culture: Kongo peoples; Yombe group
- Medium: Wood, iron, resin, ceramic, plant fiber, textile, pigment, glass
- Dimensions: H. 43 1/4 in. (110 cm)
- Classification: Wood-Sculpture
- Credit Line: Afrika Museum der Saint Petrus Claver Sodalität, Zug, Switzerland
- Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing