Returned to lender The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Power Figure (Nkisi N'Kondi: Mangaaka)
Not on view
Among the significant features of this figure contributed by the nganga that remain fully intact is a massive beard (vevo) composed of clay, palm wine, animal hair and hide, raffia fiber, and resin. In order to construct the beard, two black parallel lines were drawn along the edges of the jaw as guidelines for hammering rows of strips or pins of iron that provided a base. Heated resin was applied in layers to the iron armature to provide a sticky bed for the long strips of hide, hair, and vegetable matter. Once all these elements were in place, a second layer of resin was applied to the nails and strips that concealed them from view.
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