Nkisi Nkondi Power Figure
The nkisi nkondi is a power figure of the Kongo people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a carved wooden human or animal figure studded with nails, blades, and other iron objects. A ritual specialist (nganga) activated the figure to hunt down wrongdoers, witness and seal oaths, settle disputes, and protect homes and villages, and each blade or nail driven into the body recorded one act sworn before it. The figure's aggressive posture, with a raised arm, staring eyes, and a mirror set in the belly, proclaimed its readiness to act, and the nganga called on its spirit to pursue thieves and