Add to ORKGSongye Female Power Figure (Nkishi) 21 3/4 high Circa 19th Century Songye, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Africa Wood, Metal, Animal Horn, Shells A standing female power figure (nkishi) with a horn protruding from the center of the head and brass applied throughout the facial area. The figure has oval-shaped eyes, a blunt, flattened nose and curved mouth. The neck is cylindrical, the shoulders rounded and the arms long and bent. The hands are broad and embrace a bulbous abdomen encircled by a string of beads. The knees are bent and end in broad feet which stem from a globular base. Larger nkishi figures may protect the entire community and mediate between humans and spirits to cure ailments. Many believe that these figures also provide ...