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
17 3/4 × 9 1/2 × 5 inches
Credit
Purchase with funds from the Fred and Rita Richman Special Initiatives Endowment Fund for African Art
Accession #
2005.291
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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