Kongo Nkisi half figure
This museum piece comes from the collection of Serge Diakonoff, expert and dealer, Geneva, Switzerland.
It was published in his reference work "The soul of Africa, masks and sculptures", éditions de l'amateur, 2006, p. 245. See attached image.
“Aggressive kindoki witchcraft is the absolute evil that must be fought. To this end, nkissi (or nkisi) protective figures are made and charged by the nganga with all the necessary ingredients to achieve this goal.
It is not the morphology of the sculpture that determines its use, but everything that is added to the receptacle built for this destination.
This implies that the nkisi does not exist exclusively to heal, protect or promote hunting and fishing, but that it can also become a weapon and have a negative action.
This sculpture, the base of which was destroyed by termites, has retained the finesse of its facial features.
Its empty eye sockets were originally encrusted with glass eyes. The magical charges have disappeared, both on the head and on the torso."
Ex. Alain Guisson Collection, Brussels, Belgium
Ex. Galerie Pierre Dartevelle, Brussels, Belgium
Ex. Collection M. S., Belgium
02502
Data sheet
- Presumed dating
- Late XIXth century
- Size
- 13 cm
- Ethnic group
- Material(s)
- Wood
- Country
- Origin
- Serge Diakonoff, Tribal Art Expert and Dealer, Geneva, Switzerland
- Stand
- Included
- Condition
- Vintage
This museum piece comes from the collection of Serge Diakonoff, expert and dealer, Geneva, Switzerland.
It was published in his reference work "The soul of Africa, masks and sculptures", éditions de l'amateur, 2006, p. 245. See attached image.
“Aggressive kindoki witchcraft is the absolute evil that must be fought. To this end, nkissi (or nkisi) protective figures are made and charged by the nganga with all the necessary ingredients to achieve this goal.
It is not the morphology of the sculpture that determines its use, but everything that is added to the receptacle built for this destination.
This implies that the nkisi does not exist exclusively to heal, protect or promote hunting and fishing, but that it can also become a weapon and have a negative action.
This sculpture, the base of which was destroyed by termites, has retained the finesse of its facial features.
Its empty eye sockets were originally encrusted with glass eyes. The magical charges have disappeared, both on the head and on the torso."
Ex. Alain Guisson Collection, Brussels, Belgium
Ex. Galerie Pierre Dartevelle, Brussels, Belgium
Ex. Collection M. S., Belgium