Nkishi (power figure)

Serving as intermediaries between human and spiritual realms, mankishi (plural) unify society by making manifest both benevolent and malevolent forces. The creation of such potent entities was the result of a collaboration between a sculptor and a nganga. Accompanied by the sculptor, the nganga selected a tree from which to carve the figure based on its spiritual properties. He then advised the sculptor on the appropriate facial and bodily features. In this example, the authority commanded by the nkishi is articulated through a face that references the format of a kifwebe mask. Defined by a prominent brow and protruding, angular jaw, kifwebe are performed to shield the community from spiritual and physical harm.




Once the carving was completed, the figure was empowered by the nganga with an array of potent attachments. These included materials drawn both from trade and from the natural environment. Imported beads encircle the neck, and strips of metal are tacked to the face, suggesting the striations of kifwebe masks. Animal matter in the form of a tooth, reptile skin, and furs frames the head, neck, and abdomen. Finally, the nganga activated the nkishi through the addition of bishimba (sacred plant and animal ingredients) embedded within cavities in the navel and the crown of the head. The finished figure was maintained within an enclosure under the care and control of its nganga.