BAKONGO POWER COLLECTION - Nkisi power figure - Bakongo - DR Congo
Starting bid
€ 1
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Expert
Selected by Dimitri André
Holds a postgraduate degree in African studies and 15 years experience in African art.
Estimate € 500 - € 550
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Description from the seller
Exceptional collection of nkisi (minkisi) figures - BAKONGO POWER
This ensemble brings together a remarkable corpus of figurines 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, abdominal cavities, bindings, plant fibers, textiles, feathers and other attached elements. These features reference the plastic vocabulary of nkisi (singular: nkisi), sculptures intended to embody a spiritual force or a specific function within Kongo societies. The term nkisi moreover goes beyond the Western notion of “fetish.” (Smithsonian National Museum of African Art)
In Kongo tradition, the sculptor shaped the figure before the nganga (ritual specialist) inserted the bilongo into cavities of the body to concentrate a power linked notably to protection, healing, mediation or the maintenance of social order. (The Metropolitan Museum of Art)
This ensemble offers a particularly appealing panorama of one of the major sculptural repertoires of Central Africa.
Each figurine will be offered at auction individually, marking its first public sale presentation, thus giving collectors the opportunity to acquire a work within a set of remarkable aesthetic and iconographic coherence.
Introduction to our expert house
Based in Belgium, our expertise and sale house specializes in African and ethnographic art. A reference seller on Catawiki for over 8 years, we enjoy a solid reputation and a history of several hundred sales with a nearly 100% satisfaction rate.
We regularly assist liquidations, successions and dispersals of collections, in collaboration with private 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 insured 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.
Exceptional collection of nkisi (minkisi) figures - BAKONGO POWER
This ensemble brings together a remarkable corpus of figurines 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, abdominal cavities, bindings, plant fibers, textiles, feathers and other attached elements. These features reference the plastic vocabulary of nkisi (singular: nkisi), sculptures intended to embody a spiritual force or a specific function within Kongo societies. The term nkisi moreover goes beyond the Western notion of “fetish.” (Smithsonian National Museum of African Art)
In Kongo tradition, the sculptor shaped the figure before the nganga (ritual specialist) inserted the bilongo into cavities of the body to concentrate a power linked notably to protection, healing, mediation or the maintenance of social order. (The Metropolitan Museum of Art)
This ensemble offers a particularly appealing panorama of one of the major sculptural repertoires of Central Africa.
Each figurine will be offered at auction individually, marking its first public sale presentation, thus giving collectors the opportunity to acquire a work within a set of remarkable aesthetic and iconographic coherence.
Introduction to our expert house
Based in Belgium, our expertise and sale house specializes in African and ethnographic art. A reference seller on Catawiki for over 8 years, we enjoy a solid reputation and a history of several hundred sales with a nearly 100% satisfaction rate.
We regularly assist liquidations, successions and dispersals of collections, in collaboration with private 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 insured 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.
Details
Indigenous object name
Nkisi power figure
Ethnic group/ culture
Bakongo
Country of Origin
DR Congo
Period
Mid 20th century
Sold with stand
No
Condition
Good condition
Title of artwork
BAKONGO POWER COLLECTION
Height
28 cm
Width
1 cm
Depth
1 cm
Weight
1 g
Provenance
Private collection
Authenticity
Original/official
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