Wood Carving
Yaka fetish-"wangey" wood
- Object: Wood Carving
- Artist: -
- Circa: -
- Dimensions: 7" long
- Culture Area: Africa Zaire
- Cultural Group: Yaka
- Cultural Context: Fetishes were very important in many rituals and rites a Yaka tribesperson may have performed throughout their life. Traditionally called Nkisi, or Nkishi, which roughly means “Power Figure”, they served many functions, such as celebrating the soul of the deceased, warding off danger from any number of supernatural forces, and acting as the medium of prayer for certain pleas or as the receptacle for a spirit.
- Donor: Dr. John D Spenst
- Catalog #: 84.037