BAKONGO, CONGO
WOOD, METAL, GLASS, HEIGHT 60CM

The Bakongo are the first people in sub saharan Africa who had contacts with Europeans, the Portuguese in this case. This fetish figure belongs to a set of 4 statues who as a unit protected the monarch from all evil. Common to all of them are the glass or mirror plates to see the evil. The nails and metal pieces were pierced into the body to drive out any evil thoughts. The open mouth and outstretched tongue are also  common features, together with the magic potion which is inserted into various parts of and around the body.