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African and Oceanic Art from the Barbier-Mueller Museum, Geneva: A Legacy of Collecting
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Power Figure: Nkisi Nkondi
Democratic Republic of the Congo; Kongo peoples, 18th–19th century
Wood, nails, iron, fabric; H. 38 1/8 in. (97 cm)
Provenance: St. Peter Clavier Sodalität Mission, Freiburg, Switzerland, before 1914; Josef Mueller, ca. 1950
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Central African power figures are the collaborative creations of Kongo sculptors and ritual specialists, or nganga. The sculptural representation produced by the carver is conceived as a receptacle to house a specific mystical force that is drawn to the work by the nganga through the addition of ingredients introduced into an abdominal cavity.
The figure's posture and gesture, leaning forward with one hand placed on the hip and the other arm brandishing a spear, is the aggressive attitude of one who uncompromisingly serves as a protector to its constituents. The accumulation of nails embedded on every available inch of the torso and arms attest to the work's role not only as advocate but as witness and enforcer of affairs critical to its community. Each nail documents a sealed vow, a signed treaty, or an effort to eradicate evil. Ultimately, this work inspired reflection on the consequences of transgressing established codes of social conduct. See the example of the Metropolitan Museum's Power Figure.
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