Female Figure

late 1800s-early 1900s

Female Figure, late 1800s-early 1900s. Africa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Songye people. Wood, upholstery studs, antelope horns, and animal hair; overall: 34.8 x 6.2 x 14.5 cm (13 11/16 x 2 7/16 x 5 11/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, René and Odette Delenne Collection, Leonard C. Hanna, Jr. Fund 2010.452 Mankishi figures were believed to have magical powers and were used by diviners to contact spirits in otherworldly realms. Smaller, personal power figures were used to connect with “common” ancestors, while the larger Mankishi figures contacted higher-ranking ancestral spirits. These power figures were kept in their own personal spaces because of their powerful status, and could only be handled by their designated nkunja, or guardian. Because this Mankishi is neither small or quite large in size, it was most likely used by a family rather than an individual.