Power Figure
| Culture | Songye |
|---|---|
| Title | Power Figure (Nkishi) |
| Date | Late 19th–early 20th century |
| Medium | Wood, iron, horns, fiber, cowrie shells, snakeskin, hair, and and incrustation |
| Dimensions | Object: 12 9/16 × 5 1/4 × 4 3/4 in. (31.9 × 13.3 × 12.1 cm) Overall (includes mount): 13 3/4 × 5 1/4 × 5 in. (34.9 × 13.3 × 12.7 cm) |
| Credit Line | Raymond and Laura Wielgus Collection, Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University |
| Accession Number | 74.55.3 |
| This artwork is currently on view. | |
Sculpted figure with a spherical body covered heavily in a textured material. The figure has a long neck, out of which small tufts of hair protrude. The figure's eyes are represented by cowrie shells pressed into the material.
For the Songye, power figures secure assistance from the supernatural world for a variety of benefits, including protection against sorcery, ensuring a successful harvest, or preventing miscarriages. Some materials attached to the wooden figure are believed to give it these supernatural powers, while others amplify how the figure was used.
Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.
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Cite this page
"Power Figure | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2025. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=74.55.3