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| SOMO LO QUE SOMO POR QUE NO HAY OTRA! |
| WOOD, GLASS, NATURAL RESIN, CLOTH, SHELLS
, BONE, CLAWS, TEETH, MUD, IRON, FEATHERS "Nkisis" are statues of power, that incarnate magical forces influencing daily life. They can be sollicited for divination, therapeutic rites, or for protection. In the Kongo universe, death and illness are never natural. They are always the result of occult practices, voluntary or not. One needs therefore, to identify the source of these practices which disturbs man's life. In this goal, a "nkisi" can intervene, due to his power of divination. The precise function of a "nkisi", is determined by the "ngangulero" who gives it power. He activates the statue by placing magical charges on the stomach, the head, the back, or the sex of the statue. Made of various receptacles, the charges contain the real power of the statue. "Nkisis" are in contact with supernatural forces. They, therefore, have to be manipulated with precaution. Bad usage may be aviolation of rules and may turn against the user. Anyone may possess a "nkisi", but, only the "nganga" has the power to control or activate it, in africa, where in cuba and in the palo monte system,initiation and rank govern who may own an nkisi. This above work depicts magical charges; one on the head and the other in the stomach. The charge in the stomach is the ngolo of the nkisis, vibrating to forces of nature. Cuban Palo is derived from the bantu and kongo religious-magical spirit systems of west central african and the creole/ criollo experiance in the new world......mundo nuevo karile ! The death head or reaper image is expresive of death as an nkisi power object called a kinikini or chichireku by some palo monte lines. by a round piece of glass. |