Power statue (nkisi), sitting man

To the Kongo, the 'minkisi' are personalized powers from the invisible land of the dead. Those who call upon the minkisi expect support in their adversit, whether an unsolved crime (a theft, for instance), an illness or a death attributed to hidden powers or witchcraft. In general they are divided into two types on the basis of their function: aggressive 'minkisi' hunt and punish wrongdoers; benign 'minkisi' promote the common good and the fertility of women and crops.