Kongo Maternity Nkondi / Nkisi Power Statue, Congo #987

Kongo Maternity Nkondi / Nkisi Power Statue, Congo #987Kongo Maternity Nkondi Nkisi Power Statue, Congo #987 Mid 20th century Among the Kongo, nganga took care of 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

• Kongo Maternity Nkondi / Nkisi Power Statue, Congo #987
• Mid 20th century
• Among the Kongo, nganga took care of 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.
• Measurements: 17.72 Inch
  
• Materials: Wood, cowries, fabric, vegetal fibers, metal, bones, glass