Cleveland Museum of Art

Male Figurine or Finial

Date

early 1800s-early 1900s

Medium

Wood

Culture

Central Africa, Democratic Republic of the Congo (most likely), Cabinda, or Republic of the Congo, probably Yombe people

Department

African Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

This figurine or finial may have contained a medicine-filled package on its abdomen. The man seated with his legs crossed and wearing a coiffure of Portuguese inspiration may represent a chief, which was once attached to a scepter or perhaps a flywhisk. Beneath the chief, a child holds onto his back; though such imagery is more typically seen with female sculptures. The stomach cavity was once filled with medicinal substances; once removed, the nkisi figure is considered “decommissioned.”

The authoritative record is held by Cleveland Museum of Art. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.