Bakongo - Nkisi fetish figure - Bakongo - DR Congo

Continuation and conclusion of our exceptional collection of nkisi (minkisi) statuettes - BAKONGO POWER

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

The coherence of the group, 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, their abdominal cavities, their bindings, plant fibers, textiles, feathers and other attached elements. These features 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 goes beyond the Western notion of "fetish". (Smithsonian National Museum of African Art)

In the Kongo tradition, the sculptor shaped the figure before the nganga (ritual specialist) inserted the bilongo, substances placed in body cavities to concentrate a power linked notably to protection, healing, mediation or maintaining social order. (The Metropolitan Museum of Art)

This ensemble offers a particularly seductive 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, thus giving collectors the opportunity to acquire a work within a set of remarkable aesthetic and iconographic coherence.

Presentation of our house of expertise

Based in Belgium, our house of expertise and sale specializes in African art and ethnography. A leading seller on Catawiki for more than 8 years, we enjoy a solid reputation and a track record of several hundred sales with an almost 100% satisfaction rate.

We regularly support liquidations, successions and dispersions of collections, in collaboration with private 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 packing, insurance and tracking.
Contact 7 days a week: we remain available for any questions or requests for additional information.