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Power Figure (Nkisi N'Kondi: Mangaaka)

Kongo peoples; Yombe group

19th century

Not on view

The creation of a Mangaaka power figure required the contributions of the sculptor who gave shape to the massive figurative vessel and the nganga who invested it with sacred bilongo and other spiritual elements. The selection of the appropriate tree took into account the scupture’s practical requirements of scale and durability as well as its ritual function. Such figures were displayed outdoors, so a heavy, hard wood was favored. Canarium schweinfurthii has been identified as the sacred tree most often used for nkondi figures from the Lower Congo and Mayombe regions. This tree, which may attain 165 feet in height, made it a suitable choice for carving such works.

Power Figure (Nkisi N'Kondi: Mangaaka), Wood (Canarium schweinfurthii Engl.), iron, resin, cowrie shell, animal hide and hair, ceramic, plant fiber, textile, pigment, Kongo peoples; Yombe group — This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Power Figure (Nkisi N'Kondi: Mangaaka), Wood (Canarium schweinfurthii Engl.), iron, resin, cowrie shell, animal hide and hair, ceramic, plant fiber, textile, pigment, Kongo peoples; Yombe group

Power Figure (Nkisi N'Kondi: Mangaaka), Wood (Canarium schweinfurthii Engl.), iron, resin, cowrie shell, animal hide and hair, ceramic, plant fiber, textile, pigment, Kongo peoples; Yombe group

Power Figure (Nkisi N'Kondi: Mangaaka), Wood (Canarium schweinfurthii Engl.), iron, resin, cowrie shell, animal hide and hair, ceramic, plant fiber, textile, pigment, Kongo peoples; Yombe group

Power Figure (Nkisi N'Kondi: Mangaaka), Wood (Canarium schweinfurthii Engl.), iron, resin, cowrie shell, animal hide and hair, ceramic, plant fiber, textile, pigment, Kongo peoples; Yombe group

This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.

This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Title: Power Figure (Nkisi N'Kondi: Mangaaka)

Date: 19th century

Geography: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Chiloango River region; Cabinda, Angola; Republic of the Congo

Culture: Kongo peoples; Yombe group

Medium: Wood (Canarium schweinfurthii Engl.), iron, resin, cowrie shell, animal hide and hair, ceramic, plant fiber, textile, pigment

Dimensions: H. 43 3/4 in. (111 cm), W. 15 3/8 in. (39 cm), D. 11 in. (28 cm)

Classification: Wood-Sculpture

Credit Line: Dallas Museum of Art; Foundation for the Arts Collection, Gift of the McDermott Foundation

The Met

The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing at The Met

The Met's collection of art of the peoples of sub-Saharan Africa, the Pacific Islands, and North, Central, and South America comprises more than eleven thousand works of art of varied materials and types, representing diverse cultural traditions from as early as 3000 B.C.E. to the present.