Superb nail fetish (nkondi) in wood, glass, metal and various, typical of the Kongo ethnic group of the Democratic Republic of Congo

Height: 52 cm

African Witch Doctors and Fetishists

Magic is part of African life! But those who practice it are of a very different nature:

The witch doctor is supposed to maintain personal relationships with evil forces; he is a dangerous being because he is suspected of casting spells. He is feared and hunted...

The witch doctor, or soothsayer, on the contrary, acts for the good of the community and each of its members. He is considered the intermediary between the members of the tribe and the occult forces. He is therefore called upon in times of need, particularly in cases of illness, and he often plays the role of healer.

In both cases, intercessions with supernatural forces are made through statues or fetishes.

Nail fetishes or nkondi

These are wooden sculptures, anthropomorphic or zoomorphic, covered with many accessories reputed to be magical and nails or metal blades bearing commitments or oaths. They contain in ventral cavities - sometimes dorsal - medicines: Hair, teeth, nails, etc. Pieces of fabric, feathers or reptile skins can complete them and mirrors or pieces of metal close the ventral cavity and represent the eyes. The faces are generally carefully sculpted unlike the rest of the body which will be hidden by all these accessories.

These statues, a rare occurrence in Africa, do not evoke an ancestor - unlike reliquaries - and only serve as a support for commitments and oaths made before the community with the help of the fetish priest (the nganga) who inserted the nails and blades on behalf of the owner of the statue and who, given his relations with the supernatural world, had the power to punish those who did not keep their promises.