An Outstanding Kongo Power Figure, nkisi...

Description

An Outstanding Kongo Power Figure, nkisi
Democratic Republic of Congo, c. 1900 or earlier

This finely carved wood figure retains the large power pack, or magical charge, on its torso fronted with a large mirror. Used by Kongo diviners in consultation with a client, the mirror would show the diviner the source of the trouble or cause of the illness the individual was experiencing. The artistic carving of this wood figure itself is very detailed, with eyebrows and toenails delineated, as well as the delicate modeling of the nose, lips, and ears. The eyes are subtly adorned with glass, reinforcing the omnipresent gaze of the spirit believed to be embodied in the figure. It has an additional turban-like power pack on its head with the remnants of a few chicken feathers at the front. The figure stands on an integral square base with circles carved on the sides. In very good condition, appropriate for its age, origin, and materials; it has an inexplicable drilled hole on the proper left side of the headdress and a small plug of another material on its upper right arm; a small area of erosion on its upper left back; the mirror is cracked. It has a rubbed and dusty patina from time and extensive handling.

Provenance:
A Private Collection, New York, NY, acquired in 1988
Sotheby's New York, November 15, 1988, lot 121
Jacques Kerchache, Paris
Sotheby Parke Bernet, London, June 27, 1983, lot 56
Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan, Geneva, Switzerland

Height: 11 inches

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