Nail Fetish "nkisi n'kondi"
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Lot: 303
91 Tribal Art AuctionNail Fetish "nkisi n'kondi"
D. R. Congo, Dondo / Kamba / Bwende
| Provenance | Size | Starting price / estimated price |
|---|---|---|
| Erik Berlin, Malmö, Sweden (1950's) Jan Lundberg, Malmö, Sweden Mark Eglinton, New York, USA Maureen Zarember, New York City, USA |
H: 22 inch |
18000 EUR
plus 23 % commission, VAT, transport and insurance |
wood, iron, plant fibre, cloth, rep., base
The torso is studded by iron nails and metal blades. Nail fetishes were used as vehicles for diviners to communicate with spirits and to cajole them in witnessing human’s activities and deal making.
It was Raoul Lehuard who, in his seminal book, "Art Bakongo, Les Centres de Style" (1989), was the first to identify the "Dondo-Kamba style" in the Niari valley in North-Eastern Kongo country. The style he outlined was defined more precisely by Marc Felix in "Art & Kongos" (1995).
Lehuard, Raoul, Art Bakongo, Les Centres de Style, Vol. II, o.O. 1989, p. 627
Lehuard, Raoul, Art Bakongo, Les Centres de Style, Vol. I, o. O., 1989, p. 157 ff
Felix, Marc L., Art & Kongos, Brussels 1995, p. 177 ff.
"Art in Motion, Cultures: The Worlds Arts Fair" in: Tribal Art Magazine, No 80, Summer 2016, p. 38
