Tribal Art

Camped in a posture of challenge, this subject of African art has a ventral load (bilongo) for therapeutic purposes. The Vili produced a variety of nkisi individual use statues, to which multiple virtues were attributed. The glazed eyes symbolize clairvoyance in a face with naturalistic features.
The Vili , the Lâri, the Sûndi, the Woyo, the Bembe, the Bwende, the Yombé and the Kôngo formed the Kôngo group, led by King ntotela . Their kingdom reached its peak in the 16th century with the trade in ivory, copper and the slave trade. Present along the Gabonese coast, the Vili broke away from the Kongo kingdom in the 16th century and the Loango kingdom became a powerful state. Now urbanized for the most part, they still integrate traditional associations, depending on the worship of ancestors such as Mbouiti or Bieri. Lit. "The Kongo gesture" ed. Daper Museum.