Figurine

late 1800s-early 1900s

Figurine, late 1800s-early 1900s. Central Africa, Republic of the Congo, Kongo people. Wood, organic materials (including resin), probably kaolin, and metalized glass; overall: 17 x 7 x 6.5 cm (6 11/16 x 2 3/4 x 2 9/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, René and Odette Delenne Collection, Leonard C. Hanna, Jr. Fund 2010.438 This figure is of the nduda type, characterized by the attached "guns" loaded with gunpowder and used to shoot witches. It is the only figure that adopts the threatening pose: the right hand raised, holding a spear or knife, and the left hand resting on the hip. Two guns protrude horizontally on both sides of the cylindrical medicine pack on the belly, covered with a round piece of mirror. This is the only figure in a group of seven found in a French antique shop adopting a threatening pose.