25. Nkisi Nkondi statue, representing a god of justice, Congo, first half of the 20th century

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Simona Oprea

Head of Oriental Art, Traditional Art & Carpets Evaluation Office; Chinese Language Certificate HSK 4

0728 054 340 [email protected]

25. Nkisi Nkondi statue, representing a god of justice, Congo, first half of the 20th century

Atelier central-african

Starting price:

EUR 150

Sold

EUR 300

exotic wood and metal, 51 x 91 x 21 cm, 51 Ã 91 Ã 21 cm

Nkisi Nkondi statues are mystical objects, inhabited by guardian spirits of justice and equity. The sculptor shaped a cavity in the abdominal part of the figurine, where the spirit would live, conjured by herbs and by other items kept in the cavity. Afterwards, it was closed off with a piece of mirror or glass. Whenever the help of the entity was needed, usually to solve conflicts, the sculpture was perforated using sharp objects, most often nails, to awaken the deity. Most Nkisi Nkonis ended up by being destroyed in the 19th century and, later, many of the remaining ones, inspired the New Orleans Voodoo magic.

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