Nkisi - Yombe - Fetish Sculpture - Female with Bells on Head

Like the Kongo and other related Bantu cultures of central Africa, the Songye people called upon supernatural forces they believed could be contacted and manipulated in their favor through power sculptures, mankisi (singular: nkisi). These sculptures range in size from a few centimeters to more than a meter in height, according to their function, and can be divided into two general categories: those for personal use and those for the use of a whole village or community. Most small-scale mankisi were made to temporarily address specific purposes and were not created with longevity in mind.

The ultimate importance of these sculptures to the Songye lies in their effectiveness as protectors of the community from malevolent forces and disease. The power of such figures depends on their ingredients (bishimba), concealed in the abdominal cavity, in the top of the head, or in a horn set into the cranium (missing from this piece). These hidden substances acquire potency and interact with the spirit world when assembled by the nganga, or ritual practitioner. (Tested for energy by an Applied Kinesiologist)