Bakongo - Nkisi fetish figure - Bakongo - DR Congo
05
days
09
hours
52
minutes
31
seconds
Current bid
€ 5
Reserve price not met
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Selected by Julien Gauthier
A decade of experience in historical arms, armour, and African art.
Estimate € 330 - € 380
 | €5 |
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Bakongo nkisi figure from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 25 cm high, 1 cm wide, 1 cm deep, weight 1 g, from a private collection, in excellent condition, titled BAKONGO.
AI-assisted summary
Description from the seller
Continuation and conclusion of our exceptional collection of nkisi (minkisi) stools - BAKONGO POWER
This set gathers a remarkable corpus of statuettes inspired by the Kongo tradition (Bakongo).
The coherence of the collection, the diversity of silhouettes, and the richness of the sculptural treatments make for a presentation that is particularly evocative of the ritual arts of the Kongo cultural area.
The figures are distinguished by their expressive faces, abdominal cavities, cords, vegetal fibers, textiles, feathers, and other attached elements. These characteristics refer to the plastic vocabulary of the minkisi (singular: nkisi), sculptures intended to embody a spiritual force or a specific function within Kongo societies. The term nkisi moreover transcends 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 body cavities in order to concentrate a power related notably to protection, healing, mediation, or the maintenance of social order. (The Metropolitan Museum of Art)
This collection offers a particularly attractive panorama of one of the major sculptural repertoires of Central Africa.
Each statuette will be offered at auction individually, marking its first public sale presentation and thus giving collectors the opportunity to acquire a work within a set that exhibits remarkable aesthetic and iconographic coherence.
About our appraisal house
Based in Belgium, our appraisal and sales house specializes in African art and ethnography. A reference 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 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 is 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.
Continuation and conclusion of our exceptional collection of nkisi (minkisi) stools - BAKONGO POWER
This set gathers a remarkable corpus of statuettes inspired by the Kongo tradition (Bakongo).
The coherence of the collection, the diversity of silhouettes, and the richness of the sculptural treatments make for a presentation that is particularly evocative of the ritual arts of the Kongo cultural area.
The figures are distinguished by their expressive faces, abdominal cavities, cords, vegetal fibers, textiles, feathers, and other attached elements. These characteristics refer to the plastic vocabulary of the minkisi (singular: nkisi), sculptures intended to embody a spiritual force or a specific function within Kongo societies. The term nkisi moreover transcends 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 body cavities in order to concentrate a power related notably to protection, healing, mediation, or the maintenance of social order. (The Metropolitan Museum of Art)
This collection offers a particularly attractive panorama of one of the major sculptural repertoires of Central Africa.
Each statuette will be offered at auction individually, marking its first public sale presentation and thus giving collectors the opportunity to acquire a work within a set that exhibits remarkable aesthetic and iconographic coherence.
About our appraisal house
Based in Belgium, our appraisal and sales house specializes in African art and ethnography. A reference 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 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 is 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.
Details
Indigenous object name
Nkisi fetish figure
Ethnic group/ culture
Bakongo
Country of Origin
DR Congo
Sold with stand
No
Condition
Excellent condition
Title of artwork
Bakongo
Height
25 cm
Width
1 cm
Depth
1 cm
Weight
1 g
Provenance
Private collection
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