Songye Power Figure (Nkisi) stamp essential for the continuity of

essential for the continuity of the lineage

A magnificent and extremely rare earthenware vessel from the late Mesolithic or early Neolithic period

acted as ceremonial transfers of value

purity and corruption

dating to the era of the Crusades

Songye Power Figure (Nkisi) stamp essential for the continuity ofSongye people, early to mid 20th century, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central Africa Magnificent and imposing standing Songye power figure (nkisi), the collaborative creation of a master sculptor and a trained ritual specialist. Expertly carved from a single piece of dense brown wood, the surface is deeply dyed and enriched with sacred materials (bishimba) composed of seeds, horns, fiber, and hidesubstances believed to activate and house