BAKONGO POWER COLLECTION - Nkisi power figure - Bakongo - DR Congo

Exceptional collection of nkisi (minkisi) statues - BAKONGO POWER

This ensemble brings together a remarkable corpus of statuettes inspired by the Kongo tradition (Bakongo).

The coherence of the set, the diversity of silhouettes and the richness of the sculptural treatments make it a particularly evocative presentation of the ritual arts of the Kongo cultural area.

The figures are distinguished by their expressive faces, their abdominal cavities, their bindings, vegetal fibers, textiles, feathers and other attached elements. These features refer to the plastic vocabulary of minkisi (singular: nkisi), sculptures intended to embody a spiritual force or a specific function within Kongo societies. The term nkisi goes beyond the Western notion of a “fetish.” (Smithsonian National Museum of African Art)

In Kongo tradition, the sculptor shaped the figure before the nganga (ritual specialist) introduced the bilongo, substances placed in body cavities to concentrate power linked notably to protection, healing, mediation or maintaining social order. (The Metropolitan Museum of Art)

This collection offers a particularly seductive panorama of one of the major sculptural repertoires of Central Africa.

Each statuette will be offered individually at auction, marking its first public sale presentation and giving collectors the opportunity to acquire a work within a set of remarkable aesthetic and iconographic coherence.

Our expert house presentation

Based in Belgium, our expert appraisal and sales house specializes in African art and ethnography. A leading seller on Catawiki for over 8 years, we enjoy a solid reputation and a track record of several hundred sales with almost 100% customer satisfaction.

We regularly assist in liquidations, estates and dispersals of collections, in collaboration with individuals and families in Belgium and neighboring countries. Our approach is rigorous, transparent and accessible, with many sales offered without reserve.

Some pieces that have passed through our hands have joined international private collections and, for some, museum institutions.

Shipping guaranteed within 24 hours, with careful packaging, insurance and tracking.
Contact 7 days a week: we remain available for any questions or requests for further information."} }` likely needs proper JSON. Done. Ensure only one key. Correct. newline characters preserved. Done. But the JSON must have escaped newlines as actual newlines inside string; allowed. We have included. Good. } Wait we included extra spaces? Fine. Let's deliver. }