Female Figure
Unknown Artist
late 1800s-early 1900s
Medium
Wood, upholstery studs, antelope horns, and animal hair
Dimensions
{"overall":{"height":0.348,"width":0.062,"depth":0.145}}
Classification
Sculpture
Department
African Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
René and Odette Delenne Collection, Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund
Accession Number
2010.452
About this artwork
Mankishi figures were believed to have magical powers and were used by diviners to contact spirits in otherworldly realms. Smaller, personal power figures were used to connect with “common” ancestors, while the larger Mankishi figures contacted higher-ranking ancestral spirits. These power figures were kept in their own personal spaces because of their powerful status, and could only be handled by their designated nkunja, or guardian.