Héritage Galerie - Art Africain Traditionnel

Songye Nkishi power figure - €485.00

African Art Songye: Power

African fetish with a ringed neck, probably from the Lubefu and Lomami region. The neck is very long, the cap hairstyle is thrown back, the eyes are represented by cowries.

Conjugation of both ritual and worship, these statues called mankishi (nkishi in the singular) also have a cosmic dimension whose energies are closely linked.
They are the work of the sculptor, the blacksmith and the nganga. The latter, a ritual specialist, has beneficial and protective powers which are far superior to the evil magic of sorcerers, whose secrets they also know, and which allow them, among other things, to thwart the manipulations of mikishi (wandering spirits become evil).

The nganga makes a bwanga, object or amalgam of objects, depending on the objective to be achieved, whether it is protection, healing, procreation ... These are the incorporated charges, called bishimba, and of which only the nganga knows. the secret and the composition, which will allow the achievement of the desired effect.
Nkishi is a special form of bwanga. Statues over 60cm (the largest can reach 130cm) are meant to protect the community, while the smaller ones are mankishi related to personal protection.

In African art, the Songye styles are extremely varied, including the Belande, the Eki, the Kalebwe, the Nsapo-Nsapo and the Milembwe. The most remarkable effigies are made of wood, metal, nails, rivets, shells, feathers, skins, bones… and of course, have their magical charges.

Songye Nkishi power figure - €3,500.00

This major Songye power figure, nkishi, stands out for its strong sculptural presence and particularly refined execution. Coming from the private collection of Bob Berete, a historic and widely respected figure in the tribal art market, this work belongs to a lineage of important discoveries that have entered leading museums and prestigious private collections. Such provenance gives the piece exceptional artistic and documentary value.

The sculpture displays a powerful vertical structure, dominated by a head with firm, balanced volumes, topped by a crest-like element that reinforces its spiritual authority. The face, with its controlled and geometric features, conveys vigilance and restraint. The compact torso is centered around a ventral cavity, a key element of mankishi figures, intended to contain the magical substances that activate their power. The presence of beads, nails, and ritual materials attests to sustained and effective ritual use. The deep, dark patina results from repeated handling and the application of ritual substances.

Among the Songye, the nkishi played a central role in social and spiritual regulation. It was used for protection, justice, healing, and the maintenance of community balance. Activated by a nganga, the figure embodied an autonomous force capable of addressing threats and restoring order. Both a sculptural masterpiece and an active spiritual entity, this Songye nkishi powerfully expresses the symbolic depth and formal excellence of Central African art.

Luba Kifwebe Kikashi mask - €290.00

African mask of Luba origin worn as part of the ritual practices of the Bwadi bwa Kifwebe. We find there the characteristic elements of the bifwebe: high stylization, declination in the three dimensions, contrast of the pigments, good balance, extruded mouth,...

Many meanings have been attributed to the stripes of the famous kifwebe masks.

This ranges from the evocation of the porcupine, the zebra, the okapi and other antelopes to the mystical labyrinth of initiation.

These interpretations may be correct, but do not give the basic reason for the existence of these characteristic grooves.

Knowledge of the ancient use of this mask is limited. It was, it seems, a powerful object to which a human sacrifice would have been attached.

The mask would or so - this is only a guess - represent a human skull. Skull or something else, the sculptor found himself in front of a hemispherical volume that had to be covered with kaolin in order to give it the desired whiteness.

However, painting a flat or spherical surface is not the same. If, in addition, low quality binders are taken into account, which are not systematically used by African artists, there will inevitably be a problem of chipping of pigments or a problem of stains.

By making regular notches, which can become close furrows, the paint, which is a diluted powder, will not flow, retained by these gutters.

A solid white surface, even on an in-the-round subject, will be obtained.

From there, a logical mastery of the ridges led the mask to its classic appearance, with its regular grooves.

If the hypothesis of a cranial representation were retained, the black orbits plead in this direction, the acquisition of an advanced mouth and a prominent nose would signify the sensory possibilities of this skull and its ability to use language, the mouth projected forward symbolizing speech.