More about Mangaaka

Mangaaka is a threatening, powerful figure and we see this in his face. His eyes are alert and staring, and his mouth is open showing teeth.

Mangaaka has been carved to look powerful. He has a strong, threatening shape, with thick arms, legs and shoulders. His hands near his hips in a forward, challenging pose.

Mangaaka was feared and respected like a chief, and was used to perform chiefs' duties like opening and closing trade routes and punishing criminals. European officials removed Mangaaka figures by force because they were used to hinder European trade.

Around each arm Mangaaka has a thin cord. These plaited fibres are called nsunga and protect the wearer from harm.

In the middle of Mangaaka's body we can see a medicine pack. It holds the magical ingredients, collected by an nganga (singular of baganga), that gave the nkisi its special capacities. One of the most common ingredients of the medicine pack was white porcelain clay (mpemba). The clay is still collected from riverbeds by Kongo today and is associated with the land of the dead. When it was applied to an nkisi figure it gave the impression that it was a powerful thing connected with the world of the ancestral spirits.

There are nails, spikes and other bits of metal pushed into Mangaaka's body. Each time the nganga used Mangaaka he hammered a piece of metal into the wood. This was done to arouse the attention of the nkisi and to activate its anger and power. The many rectangular pieces of metal (mbeezi) suggest this figure may have been used to seal oaths and settle legal cases. The blades of metal also affect how we see Mangaaka - they make him look even more powerful and threatening.

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