Tribal Art

The Vili, The Lri, the Sûndi, the Woyo, the Bembé, the Bwende, the Yombé and the Kongo formed the group Kôngo , led by the Ntotela King. Their kingdom reached its apogee in the 16th century with the ivory, copper and slave trade. Similarbeliefs and traditions, they produce a statuary with a codified gesture in relation to their worldview. In the Kongo, the nganga took care of the rituals by activating a spiritual force with a nkondi (pl. nkissi). The term nkisi was then used to refer to the concepts of "sacred" or "divin".This is a protective object in which one or more magical charges are introduced like the statuette çi-contre.
Camped in a determined attitude, this feminine figure imbued with a certain realism was "charged" by the ritual specialist of magic ingredients. These were introduced into the cavities in the abdomen and the top of the head, which were blocked by a red-coloured textile. On the bust and between the breasts are the traditional protruding scarifications, including the losangic motif also present in the Punu. The oiled dark patina, barely satin, reveals locally a lighter wood. Lack slack in one of the ears.