Scepter
Kongo Artist, Yombe Region, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, or Angola

Details
Title
Scepter
Artist/Maker
Kongo Artist, Yombe Region, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, or Angola
Date
nineteenth century
Medium
Wood, feathers, cloth, paint, and metal
Dimensions
Contact the museum for more information
Credit
Purchase with funds from the Fred and Rita Richman Special Initiatives Endowment Fund for African Art
Accession #
2005.291
On View
Currently not on view
The figure seated at the center of this royal scepter is painted white to show that its authority derives from ancestral and spiritual realms. The stroke of earth-red paint on its torso symbolizes life’s vital force. The feathers that surround the figure at the center of this scepter indicate that it is an nkisi, a medicine of God, concerned with “things of the above.” With a hand raised to its mouth, the figure bites munkwisa, a tenacious plant used in the investiture of Kongo political leaders. Munkwisa leaves are associated with an ability to endure.
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Composite Group
Kongo Artist, Yombe Region, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, or Angola

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Kongo Artist, Yombe Region, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, or Angola
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