Accession Number
1985/1.186

Title
Power figure

Artist(s)
Zombo

Artist Nationality
Zombo

Object Creation Date
circa 1900-1925

Medium & Support
wood, cotton, fiber, seed pod, and animal skin

Dimensions
14 1/16 in x 3 3/8 in x 5 in (35.8 cm x 8.6 cm x 12.7 cm)

Credit Line
Anonymous Gift

Subject matter
Standing Zombo figures are known to have bags, horns, and nutshells attached to them. A seed pod is affixed to this particular figure. This figure falls into a category of objects which embody a spirit or force—nkisi—that are appealed to for healing and therapeutic purposes; bags, horns, nutshells, seed pods, and the like are receptacles to hold medicine.

Physical Description
A sculpture of a wooden figure that has been tightly wrapped in layers of cloth and animal skin, concealing the neck, arms and torso of the figure, and secured in place by a plaited fiber.  Animal skin binds the legs which stand apart and are slightly flexed at the knees.  Around the torso, a cracked-open seed pod is held in place by a piece of wood affixed to the front of the body. The oval shaped head features pierced pupils and a simple coiffure.  

Primary Object Classification
Sculpture

Primary Object Type
figure

Collection Area
African

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.

Keywords
Figures
bound
figures (representations)
minkisi
standing
traditional medicine