Nkisi c. 20th century

Curator: This object is a Songye Nkisi figure, dating to around the 20th century. The piece is an assemblage, incorporating materials like wood, found objects, and various organic elements. Editor: Wow, it’s intense. The textures are so rich – wood, fur, feathers, even teeth. The figure is also bristling with these…are those horns? What strikes me is how these raw, found materials combine to create a powerful presence. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The materials themselves are primary. A piece like this confronts conventional distinctions between art and craft. How does the labor of collecting, assembling, and imbuing these raw materials with symbolic power relate to more conventional "artistic" practices and high art ideals? Think of how each element would have been gathered, possibly traded, and then intentionally placed. What labor went into acquiring these materials, and what power do those specific elements bring? Editor: That’s fascinating! So, you’re suggesting the story isn't just about the object itself, but also the entire process of how it came into being. Did the maker's choices for what constitutes an “acceptable” material have symbolic meanings in and of themselves? The means of production seem more important here. Curator: Precisely! Consider the use of potentially scavenged animal parts – bone, teeth, skin – alongside worked wood. These choices say much about a society’s relationship with the natural world and resource use. The labor required to transform these raw components reflects economic conditions of its time and region. This process is central to understanding the artwork. Editor: I’ve always approached art focusing on symbolism, but this gives me so much more to think about – all of the cultural implications behind just assembling the piece! Curator: Absolutely, art doesn't emerge from a vacuum. Consider the processes that made art possible!