Male Figure (Nkisi)
Can I see it?
Yes, on view now
Where is “Male Figure (Nkisi)” now? The Cleveland Museum of Art, 108A African, Cleveland. Yes, on view now. Checked September 29, 2026.
On public display.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the sculpture
Nkisi is often associated with the word spirit, as these figures are believed to host a variety ancestral spirits. With an intact mirror-covered stomach cavity, this figure was not decommissioned before sale or disposal, deeming its particular powers sustained. The cloth knots and carvings suggest that it was used to bind agreements or oaths, and to reconcile social and cosmological contradictions.
The Cleveland Museum of Art
Details
- Accession number
- 2010.434
In the catalog
Sources
- The Cleveland Museum of Art
- Image: The Cleveland Museum of Art — Museum open access
