Kongo Yombe, Nail fetish, Bakongo Art

Very early 20th century

Provenance :
- Bernd Muhlack, Kiel, Germany
- Private collection, France.

Bibliography:
- Lehuard, Raoul (1989). Bakongo Art. Arnouville: Arts d'Afrique Noire.
- Catalogue Koller Sale, Geneva, 14/12/2014 n°148

In addition, a study by Pr François Neyt will be given to the buyer.

The Kongo Empire, in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo, was already described in the first accounts by Portuguese travellers in the 15th century as a group of peoples subject to the central and spiritual authority of a monarch (ntotila).

Kongo sculpted figures are generally referred to as nkisi (plural: minkisi). When they take the form of a human representation, they are always powerful ancestors who, while still alive, enjoyed great respect and authority within society.

The statues bear local and individual names, referring to the name of the ancestor represented, his qualities or the posture assumed by the effigy. This statue is known as nkisi nkondi (nkisi is the name of the cult, and nkonde means ‘nail’).