Kongo: Vili
Republic of the Congo
Central Africa
Male Figure (Nkisi Nkondi)
INV-1513
Kongo: Vili
Republic of the Congo
Central AfricaProbably early to mid-19th century
Male Figure (Nkisi Nkondi)
Kongo: Vili Republic of the Congo Central Africa →viliArts of Africaafrican ArtCentral Africasculpturewood
Date
Probably early to mid-19th century
Medium
Wood, metal, glass, fabric, fiber, cowrie shells, bone, leather, gourd, and feathers
Dimensions
73.7 × 33.1 × 28 cm (29 × 13 × 11 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
Ada Turnbull Hertle Endowment
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.
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