Africa, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Yaka-style carver / late 1800s–mid-1900s
Figure (kiteki)
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Figure (kiteki) as sculpture (Africa, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Yaka-style carver · late 1800s–mid-1900s).
The sculptures and the specially selected materials inside assist the prayers of owners for protection from harm, sickness, or loss.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this sculpture as Wood, lizard skin, leopard tooth, pods, cloth, and natural fiber.
The museum's collection notes: Biteki is the generic name for Yaka figures used as containers for magical ingredients. After being charged by a ritual specialist, they become minkisi , or power objects, and gain the power to either cure or harm. This example, with various leadership accouterments, likely belongs to the category called phuungu . Placed inside a house, the statuette would have protected against witches and other evil.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtFigure (kiteki)Original explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.