Nkisi Figure, Boma, Congo. (Photo: artSTOR)
The Nkisi figure is a ceramic vessel that has an attached mirror used for divination. The nganga was able to look into the mirror so they could see the warrior’s vulnerability whenever needed. The vessel is made out of important clays such as kaolin, a substance which is closely linked to the world of the dead with its white mineral material. Also used is red ocher; its red color refers to blood and danger.
The Nkisi’s figure is activated through the driving of nails and blades into the vessel. Each nail that is driven in adds to the charged substance it is activating and this accumulation adds to the power that the vessel holds [1]. The divination of the Nkisi’s vessel is very important and powerful, which is when the Nganga looks through the mirror of the vessel. Without the accumulation, the spiritual forces would not be as powerful.
[1] Monica Visona, Robin Poynor, and Herbert Cole, A History of Art in Africa, (New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc., 2008), 360.
The Nkisi figure is a ceramic vessel that has an attached mirror used for divination. The nganga was able to look into the mirror so they could see the warrior’s vulnerability whenever needed. The vessel is made out of important clays such as kaolin, a substance which is closely linked to the world of the dead with its white mineral material. Also used is red ocher; its red color refers to blood and danger.
The Nkisi’s figure is activated through the driving of nails and blades into the vessel. Each nail that is driven in adds to the charged substance it is activating and this accumulation adds to the power that the vessel holds [1]. The divination of the Nkisi’s vessel is very important and powerful, which is when the Nganga looks through the mirror of the vessel. Without the accumulation, the spiritual forces would not be as powerful.
[1] Monica Visona, Robin Poynor, and Herbert Cole, A History of Art in Africa, (New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc., 2008), 360.