Africa by fayezbarakat11

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BARAKAT

Africa

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Nkondi Power Figure

19th - 20th century Wood (MA.228)

Large-scale power figures such as this example were central to the life of Songye communities spread over a vast territory in east-central Democratic Republic of the Congo. Designed to act as intercessors between ancestral spirits and the living, nkishi were intended to benefit the entire community and were not the property of a single individual. The consecration of a nkishi was a public event unifying the community; chiefs and elders commissioned the nkishi and the community was responsible for cutting the tree selected for the carving, often selected for its curative or toxic properties. Nkisi are spirits, or an object that a spirit inhabits. It is frequently applied to a variety of objects used throughout the Congo Basin in Central Africa especially in the Territory of Cabindathat are believed to contain spiritual powers or spirits. Nkondi (plural varies minkondi, zinkondi) are a subclass of minkisi that are considered aggressive. Because many of the nkondi collected in the nineteenth century were activated by having nails driven into them, they were often called "nail fetishes" in travel writing, museum catalogs, and art history literature. Many nkondi also feature reflective surfaces, such as mirrors, on their stomach areas or the eyes, which are held to be the means of vision in the spirit world. Although nkisi nkondi have probably been made since at least the sixteenth century, the specifically nailed figures, which have been the object of collection in Western museums, nailed nkondi were probably made primarily in the northern part of the Kongo cultural zone in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.!

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Skirted Female Figure

19th - 20th century Wood (MA.229)

This rare, female power figure displays an armless torso and head mounted on top of a large straw skirt. The striking facial features are comprised of an elongated nose, closed mouth, and almond shaped eyes which direct the figureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gaze downwards. The head of this female figure rests atop of an elongated neck defined by consecutive circular forms. Two large breasts hang down over the figureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s chest, decorated with geometrically patterned bands, echoing the multi-circular structure of the neck. This female figure possible serves the same function as its more common male counterpart: to provide protection, healing, or therapy for its owner. !

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Baule Figure of a Woman and Child

19th - 20th century Wood (MA.226)

This sculpture depicts a female figure sitting powerfully on a stool, with a child clinging to her back. The elongated torso of the female figure, with arms resting at the side of right-angled legs, strong calves denoting strength, protruding breasts, geometric scarification patterns and the downward-facing expression incarnate a physical and moral ideal within Baule society. The Baule distinguish the visible from the invisible world, blolo (other world), inhabited by spirits. Prior to birth every human had a spouse and children who remain in the other world until being reunited upon death. This maternity figure is in all likelihood a representation of a spirit spouse and child in the other world, blolo.!

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Baule Figure of a Woman and Children

19th - 20th century Wood (MA.254)

The Baule are one of the Akan peoples. They moved west to the Ivory Coast more than 200 years ago and adopted sculptural and masking traditions from their neighbors, the Guro, Senufo and Yaure peoples. Baule figures can be among the most elegant and designed pieces in Africa. Many show careful execution of face, coiffure and scarification details, with refined forms but no loss of expressiveness and power. The quiet, dignified figures embody spirits from the other world. They functioned as the home of a spirit to whom sacrifices were made and had to be placated with care. Asye usu figures were the abode of spirits associated with diviners. In ritual performances the spirit would come out to possess the diviner, causing a trance. The display of the figures would enhance and support the ensuing dance.!

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Baule Figure of a Man

19th - 20th century Wood (MA.235) This Baule figure of a man, which remains in immaculate condition, is instantly recognisable as a regal figure due to its seated position with legs bent at right angles as the buttocks rests on an animal figure below. The figure raises both hands to its beard which is beautifully styled, in accordance with the hair. The beard and hair frame the delicately serene facial features of this figure. There are examples of scarification on the belly, decorating the symbolic and spiritual aspect of the body.

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Songye Figure

19th - 20th century Wood (MA.231)

The human appearance and visible attributes of chieftaincy of the nkisi are juxtaposed with the more animal characteristics emphasising his non-human ‘otherness’. A partially concealed large animal horn, presumably filled with medicinal matter, reinforces the figure’s wild power. The nkisi rests his hands on his stomach, where traditionally it was believed the most important part of a human being, the living spirit, resides. The face has distinctive features with closed semi-circular shell-shaped eyes and large arched eyebrows, giving the face its distinctive V-shape, interrupted only by the short horizontal line of the chin. A rectangular protruding form contains two rows of gritted teeth. The head and arms show a dark and shiny patina, while the tone of the legs is closer to the wood’s natural surface. The discrepancy signals the loss of a skirt that would have originally covered the lower half of the body. Designed to act as intercessors between ancestral spirits and the living, nkishi were intended to benefit the entire community and were not the property of a single individual. The consecration of a nkishi was a public event unifying the community; chiefs and elders commissioned the nkishi and the community was responsible for cutting the tree selected for the carving, often selected for its curative or toxic properties. Once completed, the nkishi was displayed in a central location such as the center of the village or near the chief’s house. Alongside it would stand a guardian serving as an interpreter for the messages received through dreams. Collective tellings occurred following specific dreams or nightmares as well as during celebrations related to the appearance of the new moon, symbolising of new life, fertility, and wealth. During a new moon, the nkishi was carried in procession through the village but could not be touched due to its great potency; instead, wooden poles attached under its arms with raffia strings were used.

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Songye Figure

19th - 20th century Wood (MA.249)

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Songye Figure

19th - 20th century Wood (MA.242)

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Songye Figure

19th - 20th century Wood (MA.248)

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Songye Figure

19th - 20th century Wood (MA.237) This wooden example of a Nkisi figure is adorned with a plaited rope belt, drawing attention to the sacred belly, upon which both hands gently rest. Beads and vessels add further decorative qualities to the upper body. A metal plate runs from the forehead to the tip of the nose and above both cheeks, defining the figure's striking facial features. A metal head-dress draws attention to the signature Songye horn.

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Ngbaka Sculpture

19th - 20th century Wood (MA.250)

The Ngbaka arrived on the Gemena Plateau in 1920. They migrated from the area around Lake Chad to the north with the Manja and Gbaya peoples. Throughout their travels they encountered numerous peoples who influenced their direction. It is known that the Ngbaka had contact with the Mabo at the Lua-Dekere River and with the Mono at the Bembe and Lubia Rivers. Although they share many cultural similarities with their neighbors, the Gbaya, they speak slightly different languages and consider themselves separate peoples. The Ngbaka believe in a supreme deity called Gale or Gbonboso. His message was brought to Earth by two messengers, Seto and Nabo, who are recognized as the primordial ancestors of the Ngbaka peoples. They are sister and brother who created the Ngbaka through an act of incest. Respect is paid to these ancestors whose carved images are daily placed upon the twabozo (family altar), where they are protected from any misfortune that might befall them. It is believed that they protect the owner and his family from hardship and that they also have the ability to cure many types of illness. Divination, which has the power to reveal the causes of misfortune, is an essential part of Ngbaka society.

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Lulua Figure

19th - 20th century Wood (MA.252)

The Lulua people live at the crossroads of several major art-producing cultures: the Luba to the east, the Chokwe to the southwest, and the Kuba to the north. In contrast to the more public prestige-enhancing royal arts of their powerful neighbors, the arts of the Lulua in pre-colonial times were generally privately owned. Nonetheless, symbols of authority, such as ceremonial weapons, staffs of office and leopard-skin skirts, are seen on many of the figures. The hallmark of Lulua sculpture is a profusion of intricate scarification patterns that adorn the surface, preserving in sculpture a form of body art abandoned over a century ago. Lulua figures referred to ancestral spirits who bestowed protection, good fortune, and beauty on their devotees. During pregnancy and childbirth, women tucked the small half figures that end in a point into their wrappers or belts for protection; after the child was born, the standing figures were placed next to the baby's bed to keep the infant from harm. Small crouching figures, spectacularly poised as if in space, served as tobacco mortars, hemp containers, or amulets to be hung from hunters' belts.

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Ovimbundu Figure of a Woman

19th - 20th century Wood (MA.236)

The core area of the Ovimbundu kingdoms was that part of the Benguela Plateau north of the town of Huambo. Expansion continuing into the twentieth century enlarged their territory considerably. Jewellery decorates this powerful example of an Ovimbundu figure of a woman; earring in the shape of shells frame her soft yet strong facial features, a delicate chain necklace is tied around her neck and complements the engraved body ware, a belt of beads sure a hanging cloth around the figure's waist, concealing her modesty, and metal cuffs adorn the figure's ankles and wrists.

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Luba Figure of a Woman

19th - 20th century Wood (MA.245)

This sculpture is a beautiful example of a Luba figure. The scarification runs from the shoulders down to the belly as the figure sits holding a decorative vessel. Three metal pins frame the face and draw attention to the stylised hair/headdress. The exact date of the founding of the Luba Kingdom is uncertain. According to oral tradition, the cultural hero Kalala Ilunga conquered the lands of adjacent chiefs along the Lualaba River. He and his successors were venerated as living divinities capable of great power. During the eighteenth century the Luba empire expanded eastward and southward until it reached the basins of the Sankuru and Lomami rivers. Luba art consequently varies regionally and has also influenced the art of neighboring peoples including the Hemba and the Boyo. Most of the Luba art in Western collections was originally produced in association with royal or chiefly courts and was meant to validate the power of leaders. Luba art forms tend to be delicately modeled and curvilinear, expressing serenity and introspection.

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Luba Figure of a Woman

19th - 20th century Wood (MA.233)

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