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Source Description
One of seven anthropomorphic figurines, these <em>minkisi</em> contained medicines in which an ancestral spirit was believed to reside. The medicines served a metaphorical rather than literal purpose in the resolution of conflicts among Kongo people. This asymmetrical figure wears a <em>mpu</em> headdress of chiefs with its characteristic geometric decoration. The pose may refer to a state of mourning.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
168738
label
Power figure (nkisi)
core
obj
dtoType
sculpture
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
168738
contentType
sculpture
title
Power figure (nkisi)
description
One of seven anthropomorphic figurines, these <em>minkisi</em> contained medicines in which an ancestral spirit was believed to reside. The medicines served a metaphorical rather than literal purpose in the resolution of conflicts among Kongo people. This asymmetrical figure wears a <em>mpu</em> headdress of chiefs with its characteristic geometric decoration. The pose may refer to a state of mourning.
date
late 1800s-early 1900s
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q80075091
genreSpecific
Sculpture
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 11.5 x 4.5 x 4 cm (4 1/2 x 1 3/4 x 1 9/16 in.)
cul
Africa, Central Africa, Republic of the Congo, Kongo-style maker
accession
2010.443
Source extras
tec
Wood, organic materials (including resin), cloth, glass, and various other materials
tombstone
Power figure (nkisi), late 1800s-early 1900s. Africa, Central Africa, Republic of the Congo, Kongo-style maker. Wood, organic materials (including resin), cloth, glass, and various other materials; overall: 11.5 x 4.5 x 4 cm (4 1/2 x 1 3/4 x 1 9/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, René and Odette Delenne Collection, Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund, 2010.443
collection
African Art
didYouKnow
Different from other Minkisi who hold their power in their abdomen, this figure sits atop a sphere in which the active substances still reside.
citations
citation
Petridis, Constantine, et al. <em>Fragments of the Invisible: The René and Odette Delenne Collection of Congo Sculpture.</em> Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art. Milan: 5 Continents Editions, 2013, 54-58.
page_number
Mentioned: pp. 54, 56, 113; reproduced: 58-59, cat. 17
creditline
René and Odette Delenne Collection, Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund
updatedAt
2026-05-29 08:40:41.130000
sourceId
168738
dept
African Art
coll
African Art
med
Wood, organic materials (including resin), cloth, glass, and various other materials
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
ab7f71ddc93884bb