You have to look closely to see that this nail fetish from the Bakongo tribe (Congo) is standing on a turtle. Even the numerous nails are not immediately recognizable. I acquired this object, which is rare in this form, through Ethnographica Pfadenhauer from the dissolved collection of a Belgian diplomat. The fetish is said to have supernatural powers, it is considered to be charged with power and is said to protect against evil spells, illness and other misfortunes. The mirror capsule used on the body (for storing magic potions) has not been preserved, only the outline can be seen. Nails were also hammered in to fulfill wishes. Dating from around 1930, approx. 60 cm tall. The turtle base can be seen better in the additional photo. [hint: this is an automatic translation from German]   |   Category: Kultgegenstände   |   Material: Holz   |   Country of origin: Tshuapa, Democratic Republic of the Congo | Similar pieces