Power Figure with Bowl-Covered Head and Mirror (Nkisi)

An inverted bowl sealed over the head forms one of the two main receptacles for the bilongo; the rows of round studs and discs on the dome mark the points where it was sealed and resealed as the figure’s power was renewed. The rectangular mirror panel on the torso is the second receptacle, through which the spirit was believed to see into the world of the dead.

Each blade, chain link and metal disc across the chest and shoulders records an intervention by the nganga — an oath, the settlement of a dispute or a plea for protection — and the chain is linked with binding and the enforcement of justice. A comparable figure, with an overturned bowl over the head and a mirrored box on the abdomen, is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

A densely textured figure. The patterned dome of tightly packed discs draws the eye to the inset eyes glinting beneath, and a cascade of blades, chain and discs falls across the chest and shoulders. The warm-toned wood of the lower body contrasts with the darker ironwork above, and the compact, blocky stance gives the figure weight. The mirror box is intact, and the accumulation is undisturbed.