Kongo
#N9K9S145
29" x 10" x 10"
$475+$50
S&H
Nail and mirror fetishes are a unique and important phenomenon of Kongo sculpture. In the Kongo, all these fetishes are called nkisi - or “medicine”. At most basic, the nkisi represents a container of empowering materials or “medicines” called bilongo. They are believed to invest the fetish figure with power and make it possible for the devotee to establish contact with the spirit. The “medicines” are generally secured in cavities in the stomach, head, or back to activate the work with the empowering agent. The nail fetishes with benevolent facial expression are said to be helping the medicine man in recognizing the potentplant spirits that would help in patient's healing.