Nkisi statuette with nails - Nkisi - Bakongo

The nkisi (the spirit) is a very large family of diverse objects whose mandate is to execute a 'contract', most often a protective one.

Each type of Nkisi bears a name that only an initiated Bakongo could pass on to us.

Here the contracts between the seeker and the nganga, the diviner-healer, are sealed by the inclusion of the nail tips.

Power is transmitted to the statue through a substance injected into an abdominal cavity and closed with a mirror.