Location

not on view

Fun Fact

Because this Mankishi is neither small or quite large in size, it was most likely used by a family rather than an individual.

Description

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.

Provenance

?-1960

(Jean Dierickx, Brussels, BE, 1960, sold to René and Odette Delenne)

1960-2010

René [1901-1998] and Odette Delenne [1925-2012], Brussels, BE, 2010, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art

2010–

The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH

Citations

Petridis, Constantine. "René and Odette Delenne." In Tribal Art XV-4, no. 61 (Autumn 2011): 123. p. 123

Petridis, Constantine, et al. Fragments of the Invisible: The René and Odette Delenne Collection of Congo Sculpture. Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art. Milan: 5 Continents Editions, 2013, 23, 68-75. Mentioned: pp. 23, 114: reproduced:pp. 76-77, cat. 25

Neyt, Francois. Songye: The Formidable Statuary of Central Africa. Munich/Berlin/London/New York: Prestel Verlag, 2009, 262. Reproduced: p. 262, no. 230; mentioned: 392, no. 230

Exhibition history

Fragments of the Invisible: The Rene and Odette Delenne Collection of Congo Sculpture. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (October 27, 2013-February 9, 2014).

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Female Figure

Africa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Songye people

Location

Fun Fact

Description