Yombe Nkisi Nkonde "Nail Fetish" Guardian Figure, DRC / Congo #176

Yombe Nkisi Nkonde "Nail Fetish" Guardian Figure, DRC / Congo #176 Nkisi or Nkishi (plural varies: Minkisi, Zinkisi, or Nkisi) are Spirits or an Object that a Spirit inhabits. This title is frequently applied to a variety of Objects used throughout the Congo Basin in Central Africa that are believed to contain Spiritual Powers or Spirits themselves. Nkondi (plural forms Minkondi, Zinkondi) are a subclass of Minkisi that are considered aggressive. Because many of the Nkondi collected in the 19th Century were activated by having nails driven into them, they were often called "Nail Fetishes" in travel writing, Museum Catalogs, and Art History literature. Many Nkondi also feature reflective surfaces, such as mirrors, on their stomach areas or the eyes, which are held to be the Means of Vision in the Spirit World. Although they can be made in many forms, the ones featuring a human statue with nails are the best described in Anthropological and Scholarly Literature. Nkondi are invoked to