Power Figure (Nkisi N'Kondi: Kozo)

19th century

Not on view

Returned to lender

This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.

Mangaaka power figures were sometimes operated with an adjunct. In some instances, it took the form of a “spouse” that balanced the figure’s intense male aggression with that of feminine creativity. Given Mangaaka’s reputation as a “hunter” charged with tracking down transgressors through extraordinary powers of perception, it might also be paired with a canine nkisi known as Kozo. Such Janus-headed Kozo afforded a heightening of sensory acuity.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Exhibition History

References

Title: Power Figure (Nkisi N'Kondi: Kozo)
Date: 19th century
Geography: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Chiloango River region; Republic of the Congo; Cabinda, Angola
Culture: Kongo peoples; Yombe group
Medium: Wood, metal, resin, plant fiber, textile, pigment
Dimensions: H. 14 1/4 in. (36.2 cm), W. 27 in. (68.6 cm), D. 10 1/2 in. (26.7 cm)
Classification: Wood-Sculpture
Credit Line: Private collection
Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing