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
The sacred matter that consecrated a Mangaaka figure was concentrated in the stomach area. The interior walls of the stomach receptacle were covered with a thick layer of resin in anticipation of the addition of medicinal contents. The resin was also used to create a series of vertical and horizontal partitions within the cavity to form compartments. Once the abdominal cavity was filled, its exterior was completely covered with the resin mixture. A large cowrie shell, Cypraea stercoraria, was then impressed into the soft, pliable resin at the front with its aperture facing the viewer. Some examples, like this one, feature mirrors rather than shells. Finally, directly above the abdominal packet, a large nail was hammered into the wood in order to symbolically fix it in place.
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