This example is especially compelling because that process of accumulation and empowerment remains visually apparent. The figure stands on an integral base decorated with incised geometric patterns. Its slender body supports an unusually large head surmounted by a dramatic curved coiffure or crest. Wide-open eyes are emphasized by white inlays, producing an intense and commanding gaze. Technical studies of Kongo power figures demonstrate that the eyes themselves could be significant locations for spiritually charged materials, although the precise substance used for the white elements on this figure cannot be established from photographs alone.

The face is highly expressive, with a compact nose, open mouth exposing carved teeth and strong contrasts between the reddish-brown wood and darker areas surrounding the eyes. A rectangular feature containing a white central element appears on the crest and visually echoes another rectangular device attached to the front of the torso.

The treatment of the body is especially significant. Much of the upper torso is covered with a composite crust of resinous or earthy material, textile and fibres, while a small rectangular receptacle is attached to the abdomen. At the reverse, a substantial packet survives, wrapped in cloth and firmly bound with cord. Its precise contents cannot be identified without material analysis; structurally, however, these additions closely correspond to the documented use of external and internal receptacles for bilongo on Kongo minkisi. Museum examples demonstrate that the finished power object could combine carving, textiles, bound packets, resinous substances and medicinal compounds added by the ritual specialist.

The appeal of this work therefore lies not only in the expressive quality of its carving but also in the survival of its multiple material layers: wood, inlays, composite matter, textile, cords and attached receptacles. It vividly illustrates the collaborative character of Kongo power sculpture, created through the complementary interventions of the sculptor and the nganga.

Provenance :

Aimé-Lucien Mbungu Mbuka is a respected Congolese expert, antiquarian, and collector specializing in ethnic and tribal art. Founder of the Antika Gallery at the Boboto Cultural Centre in Kinshasa, he has worked for more than thirty years to preserve and promote Congo’s traditional artistic heritage.

As President of the National Association of Antiquarians of Congo (ASSONACO), he emphasizes the historical, spiritual, and cultural significance of African masks, sculptures, and ritual objects. He is also involved in discussions surrounding the restitution of African heritage held abroad.

In June 2022, King Philippe of Belgium visited the Antika Gallery, where Mbungu Mbuka introduced him to various aspects of traditional Congolese art. He also published One Hundred Congolese Sculptures from the Antika Collection in 2009 and continues to promote Congolese art both in the DRC and in Europe.

His slender body and slender limbs contrast with the more classic massive body of Songye power figures. The summit horn is still stuck in the skull, testifying to a ritual use in the context of protection of individuals (family or village), containing the bishimba, a magical charge carried out by the master of divination.

The slender face is covered with small brass nails conferring a specific power to this Tetela fetish: that of diverting lightning towards the protective figure and thus keeping it away from individuals. On the trunk and under the eyes, fine linear scarifications adorn the statue.

A twisted metal ring accompanies the ankles and other accessories adorn the character's waist. This piece has a beautiful patina of use, sometimes crusty, sometimes shiny from repeated use.

This is a very beautifully crafted protective nkishi of a very rare typology, in excellent condition, still including its traditional ritual accessories. All these elements make this statue an essential piece of African art for lovers of figures of power.

Museum piece from the collection of Dr. Kremer, Geneva, Switzerland.

Within Kongo traditions, such figures belong to the broader category of nkisi, spiritually empowered objects used in a variety of ritual contexts. The cavity typically contained symbolic materials known as bilongo, selected for their protective, healing, judicial, or spiritual properties. Once activated by a ritual specialist, the figure served as a mediator between the human world and unseen forces. The open mouth, a recurring feature in Kongo art, is often associated with speech, spiritual authority, and the ability to invoke or communicate with ancestral powers.

Kongo art is renowned for combining refined stylization with profound symbolic meaning. Beyond its sculptural qualities, this nkisi figure reflects a worldview in which objects could embody spiritual energy and act as intermediaries between the living, the ancestors, and the invisible realm. It stands as an important example of the artistic and religious traditions that flourished within the historic Kongo cultural sphere.

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.

The term "nkondi" derives from the verb "konda", meaning "to hunt", reflecting their function as spiritual "hunters" charged with tracking down and punishing evildoers, sorcerers or enemies.

To this end, the fetish can, as is the case here, present a raised arm which is sometimes accompanied by a weapon. The facies is generally expressive in order to accentuate the threat.

These tribal figures, often anthropomorphic, are designed by religious specialists called nganga.

They contain sacred materials, or bilongo, placed in cavities, generally at the level of the abdomen, and sealed by mirrors or reflective surfaces.

Nails or other sharp objects, more or less numerous, are driven all over the body and serve to "awaken" the spirit of the nkondi, thus activating its power to protect the community or seal oaths.

The minkondi illustrate the complexity of Bakongo beliefs, where the visible and the invisible interact to maintain social and spiritual order. They bear witness to a rich artistic and religious tradition, where art is intimately linked to healing and justice practices.