Seated male power figure (nkisi)

This nkisi power figure of a man touches his face in a contemplative gesture and leans forward with his legs arranged in the fu-mani position, a sign of caring, competence, and responsibility. The sculptor has carefully and realistically depicted the nkisi's prestigious knotted pineapple skullcap (mpu) and the jewelry he wears on his wrists and upper arms. The figure probably represents a chief, but perhaps a healer and/or diviner as well.

The medicine that empowers this nkisi is hidden in the cylindrical container projecting from his torso. The imported mirror sealing the cavity enables him to see which supernatural forces are active, and the glass eyes allow him to "see through water to the wisdom of the other world" (23) in order to solve the owner's pathological or spiritual problem.

The Arts of Africa at the Dallas Museum of Art, cat. 52, pp. 162-163.

____________________
NOTES:

23. Thompson, Robert Farris. “Icons for the Brave and Generous: Kongo Art at Yale.” Yale University Art Gallery Bulletin (2005): 80–87. pp. 84-85.