Cleveland Museum of Art

Male Figure (nkishi)

Date

late 1800s–early 1900s

Medium

Wood, glass beads, brass (including upholstery studs), copper alloy, iron alloy, raffia, reedbuck antelope horn, rawhide, animal hair, human teeth, organic material, minerals, and plant fibers

Culture

Africa, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Songye-style carver and nganga (priest)

Department

African Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

This figure's visual impact and workmanship suggest that an extended family––rather than an individual––used it. The raffia skirt around the waist and the blue and white beads are indicators of leadership. The metal appliqué covering the face and the metal blades that hedge the headgear refer to the blacksmith, a culture hero celebrated in a Songye myth narrating the formation of the state. The metal strips on the skeletal face are said to relate to lightning, signaling the figure's role as a powerful anti-sorcerer, but the contrast between white iron and red copper symbolically alludes to the ambivalent powers of the figure. Researchers conducted X-ray scanning on this figure, revealing its internal structure and human teeth, an antelope horn, and animal hair.

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