Male Figure (Nkisi Nkondi)
Vili
Probably early to mid-19th century
Medium
Wood, metal, glass, fabric, fiber, cowrie shells, bone, leather, gourd, and feathers
Dimensions
73.7 × 33.1 × 28 cm (29 × 13 × 11 in.)
Classification
sculpture
Department
Arts of Africa
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
151358
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
The term nkisi refers to spirit-invested objects that were empowered with medicinal and magical ingredients called bilongo. In the case of this male figure, the bilongo are enclosed in the cap on the head and in the mirror-sealed resin packet on the abdomen. The name nkondi refers to the figure’s ability to hunt down and punish wrongdoers. A nail or a blade was driven into the figure to prompt the inhabiting spirit at every consultation.