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Power Figure (Nkisi Nkondi), late 19th-early 20th century (wood, iron, glass, fibre, pigment, bone)

Power Figure (Nkisi Nkondi), late 19th-early 20th century (wood, iron, glass, fibre, pigment, bone)
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Largest available format 4008 × 5344 px 2 MB
Dimension [pixels] Dimension in 300dpi [mm] File size [MB]
Large 4008 × 5344 px 339 × 452 mm 2.0 MB
Medium 768 × 1024 px 65 × 87 mm 521 KB
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IMAGE number
TBM695438
Image title
Power Figure (Nkisi Nkondi), late 19th-early 20th century (wood, iron, glass, fibre, pigment, bone)
Auto-translated text View Original Source
Artist
African School / African
Location
Brooklyn Museum, New York, USA
Medium
wood, iron, glass, fibre, pigment, bone
Dimensions
61.5x17.0x21.5 cms
Image description

An nkisi nkondi serves as a container for potent ingredients used in magic and medicine, and in judicial and healing contexts. To make an nkisi nkondi, a carver begins by sculpting a human or animal figure with a cavity in the abdomen; then a ritual expert completes the work by placing ingredients with supernatural powers on the object and in the cavity provided. He activates the figure by breathing into the cavity and immediately seals it off with a mirror. Nails and blades are driven into the figure, either to affirm an oath or to destroy an evil force. The figure’s pose suggests that it may once have been carrying a knife or spear.

Photo credit
Photo © Brooklyn Museum / Gift of Arturo and Paul Peralta-Ramos / Bridgeman Images
Image keywords
19th century / 20th century / wood (material) / material / figure / kongo central province / cabinda province / face / african / nails / wooden / woodcarving / mixed media / zaire province / democratic republic of the congo / angola / angolan

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