Lot A113 - Kongo Nkisi Nduda Power Figure

Kongo Nkisi Nduda Power Figure

Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Height: 27 cm

Carved wooden ritual figure associated with the Kongo peoples of Central Africa. The figure stands upright on a circular base and is wrapped in aged textile around the torso, forming a bundle that traditionally contains ritual substances. A circular cavity at the chest once held sacred materials, activating the spiritual force within the figure.

Objects of this type belong to the tradition of nkisi power figures—sculptural vessels created to house spiritual forces and used in healing, protection, and ritual practices within Kongo belief systems. Such figures were typically prepared and activated by a ritual specialist known as a nganga, who placed medicinal and symbolic materials inside the figure to imbue it with power.