Tribal Art

Coll. Belgian African art.

The nganga, sorcerers but also healers, were in charge of religious activities and mediation towards the God called Nzambi through figures, mostly consecrated anthropomorphic tribal sculptures, called nkisi. These tribal statues, in this case a domestic idol, have a magical charge usually lodged on the abdomen behind a mirror blocking the cavity. This copy embodies a powerful character, wearing the headdress of the chef, with an aquiline nose and eyes with dark pupils, loaded with a bag in which were introduced the magic charge or therapeutic ingredients named bilongo . Clear patien, abrasions.
Shez the Kongo, 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 terms of 'sacred' or 'divine'. The most influential category of 'minkisi kongo' consisted of instruments to help regional leaders enforce the law. A metal object was nailed to a wooden figure as soon as a decision was made, each nail evoking a particular case: litigants, divorce, conflicts between communities... The nkondi wanted to ensure that the agreement to resolve the conflict was properly implemented, and that individuals feared the consequences of their behaviour. Its appearance thus personified the force residing there. From the second half of the 20th century, minkondi minkisi were strategically placed along the coasts of the Loango kingdom to protect against European incursions. Among the most powerful, the Mangaaka was considered the 'king' and 'master', supreme arbiter of conflicts and protector of communities, and who became the most ambitious and monumental sculptural genre.
Source: 'The Kongo Gesture' Ed. Dapper Museum