Nkisi Fetish // Ver. 1

Fashioned by a tribal leader called a nganga, this harbinger of truth ensured that participants remained bound to any contract made within the tribe. Ancestors were believed to be brought into the object so that both sides of the agreement were equally represented and no one strayed from official terms. The white clay inside of the figure was representative of ancestral energy and each nail embodied a contract. As the nkisi was believed to shelter ancestral spirits, the mirror on this particular figure symbolized the ability of the nkisi spirit to see the human world and the human’s inability to penetrate the spirit world. The mirror was also protective.

Dimensions: 8”L x 5-1/2”W x 15-5/8”H, Weight: 2 lb.