Songye Nkishi statue, DRC - Lot 168

Songye Nkishi statue, DRC African Nkisi fetish, nkishi (pl. mankishi )of the Songye, whose oversized feet rest on a pedestal. This more realistic than usual sculpture has been deprived of some of its ritual accessories and talismans, their location still being visible. Abraded mottled patina, kaolin highlights. Desiccation cracks, erosions 62 x 13 cm These fetishes are said to protect against various evils and act as mediators between gods and men. Larger specimens are generally the collective property of the village, while smaller figures are reserved for individual worship. In the 16th century, the Songyes migrated from the Shaba region to settle on the left bank of the Lualaba. Their society is organized along patriarchal lines. Their history is inseparable from that of the Luba, to whom they are related through common ancestors. Divination was very much a part of their society, enabling them to discover sorcerers and shed light on the causes of the plagues that struck individuals (ref: Trésors d'Afrique, Musée de Tervuren, ed. De Vries-Brouwers; "Art and life in Africa" C.De Roy; "Le Sensible et la Force" ed. Musée Royal de l'Afrique Centrale).