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

Exceptional collection of nkisi (minkisi) statuettes - BAKONGO POWER

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

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

The figures are distinguished by their expressive faces, their abdominal cavities, their bindings, plant fibers, textiles, feathers and other attached elements. These characteristics refer to the plastic vocabulary of minkisi (singular: nkisi), sculptures meant 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, substances placed in cavities of the body to concentrate 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 statuette will be offered individually at auction, marking its first public sale presentation, thereby giving collectors the opportunity to acquire a work within a set of remarkable aesthetic and iconographic coherence.

Presentation of our appraisal house

Based in Belgium, our 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 an almost 100% satisfaction rate.

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

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.