Nkisi sculptures are small human or sometimes animal figures made of wood, metal and bone usually created in the Congo Basin in Central Africa. Most were the result of a partnership. A sculptor, working with a Banganga, or spiritualist, created the form and wrapped or embedded it with spiritually charged substances, like fruit, mushrooms, and certain minerals. The form was then imbued with a spirit or spirits, to become a portable grave that allowed conversation, supplication, and negotiation with the spirit.
