
Collection Online as of May 25, 2022
Wood, upholstery studs, antelope horns, and animal hair
Overall: 34.8 x 6.2 x 14.5 cm (13 11/16 x 2 7/16 x 5 11/16 in.)
René and Odette Delenne Collection, Leonard C. Hanna, Jr. Fund 2010.452
not on view
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.