Nkisi Nkonde

These products are handmade and may vary in appearance from the image shown. Measures approximately 13" H x 6".

Nkisi Nkondi (plural: minkisi) is a sacred power figure of the Kongo people that acts as a spiritual "hunter" or guardian, used to enforce oaths, settle disputes, and avenge wrongs. Created by a ritual specialist (nganga), the object is activated by driving metal pieces into it to invoke the spirit, serving as a tool for judgment and divine justice. 

• Function and Purpose: They act as "hunters" (the term nkondi means "hunter") that pursue wrongdoers, thieves, or adulterers, or as entities to secure agreements and oaths.
• Activation and Nails: The nails, blades, or metal embedded in the wood are not decorative; each nail represents the resolution of a problem, a pact, or a call to action.
• Magical Components (Bilongo): The nganga (spiritual expert) places medicinal and sacred substances, known as bilongo, generally in the stomach (covered by a mirror) or the head, which contain the spiritual power of the figure.