African fetish Nkisi, nkishi (pl. mankishi) of the Songye whose face reproduces the mask of the kifwebe. Meticulously made, the sculpture meets the criteria associated with this type of object, the accessories being supposed to reinforce its effectiveness. Shiny patina, grainy agglomerates, ocher residues. These fetishes of protection against various evils would play the role of mediator between god and men. The large sculptures are the collective property of an entire village, and the smaller figures belong to an individual or a family. In the 16th century, the Songyes migrated from the Shaba region to settle on the left bank of the Lualaba. Their society is organized in a patriarchal way. Their history is inseparable from that of the Luba to which they are related through common ancestors. Very present in their society, divination made it possible to discover sorcerers and to shed light on the causes of the plagues that struck individuals. (ref.: Treasures of Africa, Museum of Tervuren, ed. De Vries-Brouwers; "Art and life in Africa" C.De Roy; "Le Sensible et la Force" ed. Royal Museum for Central Africa)
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