Large Nkondi Fetish - Congo - Premier Art - 65cm - Provenance

Superb Nkondi fetish statue from KONGO. Legs stretched out on its square base, torso stiff, feathers on the head. Red narrowed eyes, a cloth around his neck. Two small polychrome statuettes hung and studded. Many, many nails driven into the body. A Globe padlock, the magical charge located in the middle of the stomach. Numerous cords and a large horn attached to the back. Beautiful polychromy. 65cm high Provenance: collected in the 1950s by a man named Kibabi and sold in the 1970s to a Belgian painter then through descent. The Nkondi (several variants minkondi, zinkondi or ninkondi) are mystical idols created by the Kongo people (Congo Basin). The Nkondi are a subclass of minkisi who are considered aggressive. The name Nkondi derives from the verb "konda", which means "to hunt" and Nkondi therefore means "hunter" because they can track down and attack evildoers, sorcerers or enemies.