Large Kongo Nkisi nkondi with nails - ca. 1900

Description

Powerful protective Nkisi nkondi power statue (64 cm) with nails and medicine pack, Congo, ca. 1900.

Monumental and rare complete execution: densely hammered-in iron nails and chains, braided cords, a square medicine chamber (bilongo) in the belly and several packs on the back. The right arm is raised in a ritual gesture; the eyes are inlaid (shell/gloss) and the head wears a textile hood. Dark, weathered patina with fine oxidation on the iron - just what collectors are looking for.

Origin & meaning
Nkisi (plural minkisi) are Kongo power figures that were "activated" with bilongo and ritual nails. They acted as protectors, judges and pact keepers; each nail marks a promise or intervention by the nganga (ritual specialist). This specimen was bought at Derksen Auction House and represents a strong, ritually used type that is museum-valued.

Dimensions & condition
Height 64 cm; width 34 cm; depth 28 cm.

Condition: signs of age and use appropriate to age; damage to the nose (see photos); stable cracking in the wood; iron with authentic corrosion. No loose parts, presentation-ready.