Kongo Nkisi Nkondi – justice figure – Congo c. 1900 – Mbehou Collection – close-up photograph
Kongo Nkisi Nkondi – justice figure – Congo c. 1900 – Mbehou Collection – close-up photograph
Kongo Nkisi Nkondi – justice figure – Congo c. 1900 – Mbehou Collection – close-up photograph
Kongo Nkisi Nkondi – justice figure – Congo c. 1900 – Mbehou Collection – close-up photograph
Kongo Nkisi Nkondi – justice figure – Congo c. 1900 – Mbehou Collection – close-up photograph
Kongo Nkisi Nkondi – justice figure – Congo c. 1900 – Mbehou Collection – close-up photograph
Kongo Nkisi Nkondi – justice figure – Congo c. 1900 – Mbehou Collection – close-up photograph
Kongo Nkisi Nkondi – justice figure – Congo c. 1900 – Mbehou Collection – close-up photograph
Kongo Nkisi Nkondi – justice figure – Congo c. 1900 – Mbehou Collection – close-up photograph
Kongo Nkisi Nkondi – justice figure – Congo c. 1900 – Mbehou Collection – close-up photograph
Kongo Nkisi Nkondi – justice figure – Congo c. 1900 – Mbehou Collection – close-up photograph
Kongo Nkisi Nkondi – justice figure – Congo c. 1900 – Mbehou Collection – close-up photograph
Kongo Nkisi Nkondi – justice figure – Congo c. 1900 – Mbehou Collection – close-up photograph
Kongo Nkisi Nkondi – justice figure – Congo c. 1900 – Mbehou Collection – close-up photograph
Kongo Nkisi Nkondi – justice figure – Congo c. 1900 – Mbehou Collection – close-up photograph
Kongo Nkisi Nkondi – justice figure – Congo c. 1900 – Mbehou Collection – close-up photograph
Kongo Nkisi Nkondi – justice figure – Congo c. 1900 – Mbehou Collection – close-up photograph
Kongo Nkisi Nkondi – justice figure – Congo c. 1900 – Mbehou Collection – close-up photograph
Kongo Nkisi Nkondi – justice figure – Congo c. 1900 – Mbehou Collection – close-up photograph
Kongo Nkisi Nkondi – justice figure – Congo c. 1900 – Mbehou Collection – close-up photograph
Kongo Nkisi Nkondi – justice figure – Congo c. 1900 – Mbehou Collection – close-up photograph
Kongo Nkisi Nkondi – justice figure – Congo c. 1900 – Mbehou Collection – close-up photograph
Kongo Nkisi Nkondi – justice figure – Congo c. 1900 – Mbehou Collection – close-up photograph

Kongo Nkisi Nkondi – justice figure – Congo c. 1900 – Mbehou collection

€8.500,00

SKU: 212 Categories: ,

Description

Monumental Congo Nkisi Nkondi (81 cm) with documented provenance and powerful ritual aura.

This imposing power figure, dating from c. 1900, belongs to the Kongo nkisi nkondi tradition – figures that functioned as spiritual judges, treaty guardians, and protectors of the community. The splayed feet on separate blocks – a symbol of the connection between the world of the living and the dead – and the dense covering of iron nails and blades indicate intensive ritual use. Each nail marks an oath, a pact, or a ritual intervention by the nganga. The face is delicately carved with a circular ear and expressive features; the textile and fibre bundles are intact.

Origin
From the collection of Mbehou, a Cameroonian art dealer active in the early 20th century. Later acquired via Rootz Gallery, Deventer, and subsequently via Morel Antiek — a demonstrable and traceable provenance chain.

Cultural context
Nkisi nkondi figures were not decorative objects but functional instruments of justice and order within Kongo society. They were displayed outdoors at public ceremonies and served as witnesses and enforcers of treaties and oaths. Similar figures are held in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Princeton University Art Museum.

Dimensions & condition
Height 81 cm · Width 25 cm · Depth 28 cm.
Signs of age and wear appropriate for its age; historic repair to the left foot; stable cracking; iron with authentic corrosion.
Ready for presentation.

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Additional information

Weight 3.540 kg
Dimensions 28 × 25 × 81 cm
Origin

Congo

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