Power Figure with Ringed Hand (Nkisi Nkondi)

The cylindrical cap with a central knop recalls the mpu, the headdress of chiefs and judges, and the chalk-toned face evokes mpemba. The finely hatched brows and engraved eye contours give a fixed, vigilant gaze. The pose joins two gestures: one hand rests on the hip in the stance of a chief or judge, while the other arm is raised with the hand shaped into a ring. Aggression and judicial composure are held in one figure.

Rope, cloth, fibre, nails and blades bind the torso, each recording an oath or a dispute, and touches of red refer to tukula, the colour of power and transition. The rounded abdominal capsule held the bilongo.

The figure stands full length on a faceted plinth. Its strength lies in the tension between the pale, smooth, precisely incised face and the dense bundle of cord, cloth, fibre, pigment and iron at the torso. The asymmetrical arms animate an otherwise frontal pose, the cap and knop give a strong vertical accent, and the round abdomen anchors the centre. The legs are bare and strongly modelled, with rhythmically incised toes. A muted palette of browns, greys and chalky white is lifted by touches of red.