CONGOLESE YAKA PEOPLE NKISI KITEKI POWER BITEKI FIGURE. Yaka power figure, also known as an Nkisi or Kiteki, from the Yaka people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. These figures are known generically as biteki by the Yaka people, and once charged by a ritual specialist with magical ingredients, they become minkisi (power objects). They are believed to possess the power to either protect or harm, and were often placed inside homes to guard against witches and other evils. Yaka power figures often feature specific elements such as a raised crest (equated to a "navel of the head" connecting the mundane and spirit worlds), and may have held weapons or other objects in their hands, suggesting a readiness for conflict. The bulbous central part, often wrapped in cloth and bound, typically houses medicinal or spiritually charged substances. - Height: 20 inches. Estimate $120-180
