ITEM #:
4036
ETHNICITY:
Songye.
ORIGIN:
Democratic Republic of Congo
MEDIUM:
Wood, pigment, animal horn, animal skin, cloth.
DIMENSIONS:
32″ (81.3 cm) Tall
CONDITION:
Excellent

PROVENANCE:
Jean-Pierre Hallet Estate Collection – California, USA.

CATALOGUE NOTE:
This Kifwebe style power figure was crafted by the Songye, Nkisi (singular) and Mankishi (plural), to resist wizardry and witchcraft. A spiritualist (nganga) may commission an Nkisi for the protection and well-being of all the members of a village, and then recommend a smaller nkishi for the private use of an individual, customized to his or her personal needs. Individuals offer prayers to ancestral spirits through personal mankishi for several different reasons. They were benevolent and were believed to bring good luck, promote fertility and success, defeat enemies and safeguard from evil. Consequently, the ceremonies that are necessary for the creation and use of personal mankishi relate to the specific needs they fulfill in the lives of their owners. Many of the features show a relationship to the masks of the Kifwebe association.