A carved wood power figure in the Kongo (Bakongo) nkisi nkondi tradition of Central Africa, standing approximately 9 inches tall. The figure has a strongly modeled head with pierced/scrolled ear detailing and inset eyes, set above a torso densely studded with driven iron nails and blade fragments. A second carved face appears at the base, beneath the figure's feet. Traces of fiber material are visible attached at the shoulder and base.
Nkisi nkondi ("hunter" or "nail") figures are among the most powerful and well-documented ritual objects of the Kongo peoples. Each nail or blade driven into the figure traditionally sealed an oath, marked a settled dispute, or invoked the spirit within the figure to take action — whether protective, punitive, or in service of healing. The accumulation of nails over the figure's active use represents its ritual history, with each addition marking a specific event or petition.
Details:
- Attribution: Kongo (Bakongo) peoples, Central Africa (DR
- Congo/Republic of Congo/Angola region)
- Material: Carved wood, iron nails and blade fragments, fiber remnants
- Height: approx. 9 in
- Condition: Age-consistent wear, nails and blades intact and heavily oxidized (see photos)
- Type: Nkisi nkondi power/nail figure