Description
One of seven anthropomorphic figurines, these minkisi contained medicines in which an ancestral spirit was believed to reside. The medicines served a metaphorical rather than literal purpose in the resolution of conflicts among Kongo people. This asymmetrical figure wears a mpu headdress of chiefs with its characteristic geometric decoration. The pose may refer to a state of mourning.
Provenance
(Unidentified art dealer, Nice, FR, 1961, sold to René and Odette Delenne) (?-1961); René [1901-1998] and Odette Delenne [1925-2012], Brussels, BE, 2010, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art (1961-2010); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH, 2010 (2010)
Accession Number
2010.443
Medium
Wood, organic materials (including resin), cloth, glass, and various other materials
Dimensions
Overall: 11.5 x 4.5 x 4 cm (4 1/2 x 1 3/4 x 1 9/16 in.)
Classification
Sculpture
Credit Line
René and Odette Delenne Collection, Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund