A wooden carving of a male figure. The figure has a distinctive face, with oval-shaped eyes and mouth, and wears a cap on his head. His body is covered in various shells, bones, feathers, fabric, and metal nails, and he holds a mirror-sealed resin packet over his stomach.

Male Figure (Nkisi Nkondi)

Probably early to mid-19th century

Kongo: Vili Republic of the Congo Central Africa

Republic of the Congo

The term nkisi refers to spirit-invested objects that were empowered with medicinal and magical ingredients called bilongo. In the case of this male figure, the bilongo are enclosed in the cap on the head and in the mirror-sealed resin packet on the abdomen. The name nkondi refers to the figure’s ability to hunt down and punish wrongdoers. A nail or a blade was driven into the figure to prompt the inhabiting spirit at every consultation.

Wood, metal, glass, fabric, fiber, cowrie shells, bone, leather, gourd, and feathers

Arts of Africa

Essentials