Figure (Nkishi)
Unknown Artist
late 1800s–early 1900s
Medium
Wood, organic materials (including resin and soil), plant fiber, and glass beads
Dimensions
{"overall":{"height":0.224,"width":0.107,"depth":0.124}}
Classification
Sculpture
Department
African Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Alvin N. Haas
Accession Number
1974.212
About this artwork
The substances contained in its cloth-covered cranial cavity indicate that this half-figure belongs to the broad category of charms or “power objects” that the Luba call mankishi. It was used by a ritual expert and functioned in a variety of rituals dealing with healing, protection, divination, or jurisdiction. Often such power figures were carved by the ritual experts rather than by professional artists.