Mask - Congo (No reserve price)

The magical statues of the Kongo cultural area (from the border between the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo; on both sides of the Kongo River).

The Minkisi (the plural of Nkisi) truly embody a spiritual entity that is subject to human control through rites.
They are used to solve all kinds of problems (illness, infertility, conflicts…).
They are generally anthropomorphic statues 15 to 30 cm tall, possessing a ventral cavity in which the magical charge is placed: the bilongo.
This one is made up of various plant and animal substances and is placed in the cavity closed by a resinous stopper adorned with shells or a mirror.
The act of sealing this receptacle is not insignificant, as it indicates that the powers invoked can be mastered.
It is the diviner, the Nganga, who during a ceremony places the charge and thereby activates the powers of the statue.