Yaka or Suku Female Fetish Figure (Nkisi)

Yaka or Suku peoples, early 20th century, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Exceptional, rare, and deeply arresting, this wooden female fetish figure stands in a strong frontal pose, carved with the distinctive sculptural language associated with the Yaka and Suku peoples. Her columnar torso is decorated with vertical scarification marks and features a small, carved chest cavity intended to receive magical ingredients—now empty, but still resonant with ritual purpose. The long tubular arms bend forward, with the small hands resting upon her chest above a slightly swollen abdomen. A sculpted horizontal ridge marks the lower torso, while the short, powerfully built legs spread apart in a dynamic stance, supported by large feet upon a shallow circular plinth, carved in one piece with the figure.

Around her neck, a coiled bronze ring has been tightly fastened, from which hang two animal tails attached with vegetal fiber. These materials once served as the primary bishimba—the potent substances through which the ritual specialist charged the figure with spiritual force. Her surface is coated in a thin wash of white pigment or kaolin, enhancing her stark and otherworldly presence. The face is mesmerizing: prominent ears, a small slit mouth, a triangular nose, and a pair of inset glass eyes surrounded by an incised white outline, likely representing ritual face paint or symbolic markings. The result is a visage both unnerving and powerfully alive.

Such figures functioned as nkisi, containers for protective or aggressive magical forces manipulated by a ritual expert (nganga). They were employed to combat illness, neutralize sorcery, and counteract malevolent influences—both personal and hereditary. At the same time, these figures could be activated to protect property, safeguard individuals, or inflict harm upon witches and other wrongdoers.

Most Yaka figures of this type are associated with Mbwoolo-Tchio shrines, small protective shelters where community rituals were performed. Their magical ingredients or medicines were often tied to the arms in small pouches or bundles, and more rarely inserted into the ventral cavity—thereby transforming the figure into a powerful “medicine-poison” (nkisi). Their functions were multifaceted: they could “make ill” (kukwatn) by projecting an invisible harmful influence, or “make well” (kubuka) by cleansing and lifting such influences.

A rare and evocative example of early 20th-century Central African spiritual artistry—at once a sculptural masterpiece and a vessel of profound ritual potency.

Excellent condition. Layered and encrusted surface patina suggesting genuine age and ritual use. Traces of magical ingredients. Old collection label on the backside. Size approx. 19,5cm x 5,3cm x 4,3cm (excluding the modern stand).

Provenance: From the estate of Jan Ölander, Sweden. Jan Ölander served as the Swedish Ambassador to Zambia and Malawi from 1984 to 1987. Former Otis Diallo Collection.

References and further reading:

Art of the Yaka and Suku, Arthur Bourgeois, Published by Meudon, Alain et Françoise Chaffin, 1984.

Magical Statuettes and their Accessories Among the Eastern Bayaka and their Neighbors (Belgian Congo), Hugo Huber, Anthropos 51 (1956): 264-90.