Bakongo Nkisi kozo - DR Congo

Origin. Democratic Republic of the Congo
Tribe. Bakongo
Material. Wood, nails, iron
Size. 55 cm
Shipping method: Colissimo, within 24–48 hours

This is a zoomorphic sculpture depicting a dog, with several features associated with ritual figures bearing charges, known as nkisi/nkondi, in the Kongo/Bakongo tradition, including the numerous nails and metal elements driven into the body. However, its precise attribution, age, and ritual function cannot be established with certainty from photographs alone.
The piece is carved from dark wood with a heavy patina. The dog has an elongated, massive body, four short, sturdy legs, and a particularly expressive head: a tapered muzzle, a slightly open mouth showing two rows of carved teeth, and light-colored inset eyes. The irregular, deeply marked surface has a dark brown-black patina with numerous lighter areas of wear.
The most remarkable feature is the assemblage of charges and added elements on the back. Several iron nails and spikes, now heavily oxidized, are embedded vertically or obliquely in the sculpture. A large, light-brown spherical charge is placed at the center of the back; it is accompanied by carved or wrapped forms, as well as a twisted or bound element running lengthwise along the body. This combination of wood, metal, added materials, and patina gives the object its strongly ritual character.
In Kongo culture, the dog has a particular symbolism: able to travel and follow tracks, it may be associated with mediation between different realms, particularly the world of the living and that of the ancestors or spirits. In the case of minkisi, the charges (bilongo) and metal elements may help activate the object and give material form to ritual interventions, oaths, agreements, or requests. The exact meaning, however, depends on the context in which each object was made and used.