Songye Nkishi Power Figure Congo

There is probably "magic" under the horn and in the waist pouch. Contents unknown.

A well-carved Songye standing figure, this Songye man stands with his hands on his prominent belly. The facial features are carved in classic a Songye style of cubist proportions and strong lines. Carved from a single chunk of heavy, dense wood.

This figure has a strongly defined body and the well-known Songye jutting chin and geometric nose with the eyes sculpturally prominent. Many groups in the greater Congo area, and elsewhere, use art to meet the contingencies of everyday life through the activities of the local priest or diviner known as the Nganga. These individuals of great spiritual strength and inductive abilities use rituals, secret formulae, and sculptures to heal and prevent the activities of malevolent forces. Sculptures like this are known as Nkishi and often serve to divine the future, control one's destiny, forestall evil-doers or work magic, and most importantly gain the attention of the spirit world. Among the Songye and other Bantu language speakers, sculpture such as this Nkishi serves as the contact point between the spirits and the Nganga, it is where the ritual activity of the diviner meets spiritual presence. The age of the object can be seen in the wear of the surface through long use and the accumulation of elements on the figure.