DR Congo (No reserve price)





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Reproduction of a Songye fetish from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 52 cm high and 12 cm deep, in good condition.
Description from the seller
The Songye fetishes are traditional sculptures associated with the Songye people, established mainly in the center and southeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), in Central Africa.
They are often called nkishi in the singular and mankishi in the plural. These objects held an important spiritual and social dimension: they could be used to protect individuals, families, or communities, depending on local beliefs and practices.
1. What was their function?
Protection: to ward off dangers and influences deemed harmful.
Spiritual power: to serve as a conduit for forces to which the community attributed particular efficacy.
Justice and authority: to help enforce certain commitments or to resolve conflicts.
Fertility and prosperity: some objects were associated with health, fertility, or collective success.
The Songye fetishes are traditional sculptures associated with the Songye people, established mainly in the center and southeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), in Central Africa.
They are often called nkishi in the singular and mankishi in the plural. These objects held an important spiritual and social dimension: they could be used to protect individuals, families, or communities, depending on local beliefs and practices.
1. What was their function?
Protection: to ward off dangers and influences deemed harmful.
Spiritual power: to serve as a conduit for forces to which the community attributed particular efficacy.
Justice and authority: to help enforce certain commitments or to resolve conflicts.
Fertility and prosperity: some objects were associated with health, fertility, or collective success.

