This piece is a power figure and it evoke emotions, not only because of how it looked like but because it is a piece that I have learned in AP art history. When I saw the power figure, I was very excited and I enjoyed explaining it to my group. It felt nice to use the knowledge that I learned in high school and use it outside of school. It was also very amazing to see a power figure in person. Most of what I learned in art history was seen digitally. I never expected to see the power figure and transformation mask in real life.
Nkisi Nkondi (Power Figure), 19th century (with 20th-century restoration)
Possibly Kongo Central Province (former Bas-Congo), Democratic Republic of the Congo Wood, iron, glass, resin, kaolin, pigment, plant fiber, cloth
Brooklyn Museum; Museum Expedition 1922, Robert B. Woodward Memorial Fund, 22.1421
Minkisi (the plural of nkisi), or power figures, were created by both a master sculptor and a nganga (ritual specialist). The nganga invokes spiritual forces into the figure through medicinal additives packed into boxes sealed with mirrors, which create a reflective surface linking the earthly and spiritual worlds. The punctured nails represent the actions of minkisi against wrongdoers and their efforts to maintain social order.
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