ts 'uortdrrf sep Flrtdl€uBoqldsd uopuo'I 'runesnw qsBrrg aqlJo seelsn{ u-relsed! olur urrol er{]Jo uorlrr;dorddtar lueler eroru erI{V lrrtuaC 'eldoad o8uo;,1 (rsrrya) ern8g .:a.ro.o4 eql etrdsep surcurer rl puy '(saorld duetu ur pesn dTJtreue8 It'te3] erour ,^d.ou v n[-n[ -otlei eqt legt p ro3) surcruer r{Jlr{^a uorlrcqddr u?llJJty ut dq perurlddns seznr a-rn11nc uead -oJng Ielerpour ur lxeluoo slr eleJ Lue 1y 'srasn ueedo.rng -slrrl3 pur smef 'sruqsn141 urlr#17 r{rro51 auop tel 'sueed Pu€ u€frJJy uee.^$eg sr euoF ]e1 's.resn uErr{Y lf,urtsrP -orng pu? suersv 'suecueruy e^rleN '.srepuqsl rgrr€d eql dp:ntpc sll W dq dr,u. arues eqt ur pootsrepun se..v\ trJr ruor3 slcelqo relrurrs dpeorqgo {let or ppo dlrcurrsrp tueos repuo,^a pls .{etu e,la 'os ua,rg 'lq8noqr3o urelled ro llel plno.^A rl 're 'se8erur qonsJo uorlcnpo.rd eqt ur euol? -qoJo d.ro8aleo elqesruSocer e ot reJer ol rurrlr eruos p?q lou sr ecrgv u€rerryS-qns 'asrnof,JO 'tueruecrld rraql tr .{ruef,Jnf prol dgereqt Surure8 u1 'ossqaf tuter ur8prd ur lred luaunuo.rd r pedeld tou s?r{ lueurafuer{ua f,rteql uErr4v tsel[t er{l olur palnlusurrl Jalel xr11 'oJqta{ p -see stseSSns trgt derrn ? ur sl?rJeltru perruf-gnu?ru pue pe>lpr selrJcrrru esen8nl;o4 tsr5 eqJ 'Erl{V pue edorng FrnteuJo dter.re,L olor{^A r qtr.ln, perelof, srralqogo pesn uee.^ teq suorleluo{uoc d1.rea eql ur urSr.ro ue sEq .qsrleJ, sI tI rerllt1 'senqenb Ieuortttueserder rreql auuer 01 s€ os 'Jlestr ruret eql;o.{Solorudre eqi3o &zrr dq sr uonturldxe drrrr aruos ur passorp ro peqlolJ uaeg e^Er{ qslr{^a slcalqo 'ur3r;o Jo puH aruos spr€,lAol elnoJ 'elrpnre eJour 'puooas 11 go Suqpl ereq tou er? e4t ur Iernteu ro lernldpcs 'ltg ro €orues lse>lre6l ou deqr eq 'sloalqo elrlelnurnf,f,r pollel eq rq8rur ta{.^a ol 'e>ls?[V ro orrxetrAJ lse>l]?Cl due dern eures er{t etrnb ur tou dysnoroeual tsoru ererlp€ ot surees (gsrtoJ, 'eJI{1r uereqes (grdnur.rd s?,l.r eregt dq,u.:epuo.u, ot Uel fins ert e,^a gSnoqr - suol] -qns ruor; slcelqo ol eluereJer qlr.a,r padoldep -epunoJ I€f,rrolsrq q3noua ernres s€q elrgv lnslqsltoJJo eq ol s:eadd? urret eql ler{t sr d1r-rerlncad puolos y ernJef rre3 eql'aleudorddtur re.tartro11'ssaco.rd drorerold 'ea.r8rped -xo eql ur uorsslu Sursrutrlsrrq3 Jo tuerua^lo uI eqt ol pelseluof,un pu? rEepJo rurel IerruqJal E ere.^A IIJI 3urqteruos seao tqnop ou snrn?saql oglJo euol tltslleJoru s? pesn sr lr 'peepuy 'uorldr.rosep olrl€u pue dpeloqcs enll eqJ 'qrroJ os pu€ ',3urop-p.te, ',l;ercqctrarr, '.drqsro.u. -ruretleJo erg arlt ur (s1uer1c rreqtJo dueugo r?qt tqnop -11 ap, '.dr]r1opl, :oro3ag pue drntuar gtuaetauru eqt ruog ou put) e8esn esnoq uontrne Sutnurluoc dq pes.ropua 'slsrs 'petues uo Suue8url Surqsern dr.rrp.reqrogo eBeSStq ? qll^\ olrrof, -red .qsrle3, se urret ? snolnqeu pue en8e.r. os le qtog 'uDI€ dlasolc ere efl{17 tse{req tnoqe ssrnooslp -erd dlqee8pel.^aou>l asrlv\olrT are sdnorS snoua8rpurgo eqt3o dlrrrrfr8eu aql pu? (qslleJ, rurel er{lJo dlr.trle8eu saureu eqa dqdarSoqtro d:erodureJuof ot uonuane elqe eqa 'sqde.rSouotu porSolodo:qrue roIIJ?e oqlJo eruos -pueururof rltr.A perepuar ueuo ',{3o1ounu.rel elrtru pu? pue slroder .srellelerl 'e.rn1t.retq ur parelsoJ uaag a^eq t?q] 'sertrroqlne pelou uro{ suorltlonb'secuare3lar dpeloqcs suorldauad pet€Ilosst eqr putJIastI ElIgVJo uorltroldxa 3o dldoutd t &1dsrp ot sultd t? asl^.r:aqto orr san8o1 'e;eq aql;o fuolsrg eloq.^ ' egt sI euo 'ecrlrttd slqtJo 'uorteu -eter erues eql 'lsrrJ salzznd Iereles eJ€ ereqJ -e1dxe ue dltcexe louJI 'txeluol EJo r{lrres ur pe8eurun.r '(seqsrteJ, s€ peqrrrsep dlSuqre;un ore rolf,r:€ql ul?Jrar (ueeq e,req put) eq utr wqt sp.reoqdnc pcrSoloqcdsd ego srcelqg 'epercd uo sr d.relnqrrol rrrlrureJ r stuarulred eq] put I?f,IJolslq q8noue snollqo 'lqnop ou 'eie ereqJ -eC ,elrtnurrd, ro (leqr[, eqr dq pelueserd sanSopttr ',qslteJ, Jo reqrunu t uI 'sasnoq uoltrnt ssuopuol ur ecqd 8ur{el a^eg lou op 'paqdrur sr rr teq; 'sruroJ srues eql uI su?Il 3ft Salss uuJnlnr elq eql cNrJIu,4a Jo awrJ lrHJ JV {r€w uqof €rlJJY l€rlue] ur sern8rJ lr8ew 6ft%' The Myth of the Fetish forms encouraged by acquaintance with what was in- terpreted locally as an equivalent European pracrice. All of this suggests, then, that 'the fetish' is firmly an- Several possible links have been canvassed. As chored in the space between cultures, one of the most long ago as rgoT it was suggested by the ethnographer potent zones of mutual misunderstanding. The most Peschuel-Loesche that nail Gtishes were related to cruci- characteristic of the objects referred to as 'fetish' come fixes.2 It is in fact the case that images of Christ on the from Central Africa. Indeed there is a complex of magical Cross entered Kongo culture in part as an insignia of objects and practices which involves masquerade, and the chiefly oflice rather than in specifically evangelising con- use ofvarious devices for healing and other purposes texts. Locally cast brass crucifixes are a familiar part of the rvhich, with local variation, is common to peoples from iconography of more recent Kongo art. Whether the the Atlantic Coast right across Central Africa and into same inspiration lies behind the creation of nailed figures Zallnbia and beyond. The term nkisi ts the shared Bantu among the Kongo is very far from certain. Despite a con- *'ord for aspects of this complex and is found in use in siderable attention to archival sources on the history of very widely distant parts of the region. Thus in terms of missionary activity in the Lower Congo area, no solid most of the objects illustrated here, and found in the support for this speculation has emerged. African section of the exhibition which the volume ac- A second link is the possible connection with a companies, nkisi refers both to the nailed images from the practice of sticking pins into images, which in Europe is Kongo on the continent's western shores, and to the best known as a means of inflicting injury on others.3 magical figures of the Songye deep into centalZaire. Again, there is no supporting evidence of any association. The most familiar of so-called 'fetishes', however, Yet some expectation based on vague notions of the come from the peoples clustered round the mouth of functioning of European witchcraft has been a significant s-hat was then the River Congo (and is now the River part of the impression cultivated about the use of nail Zaire).It is important to recall that here there is a history figures in Central Africa. All the negativify of the term of contact with Europe that extends back over 5oo years. 'fetish' has seemed appropriate to these 'ferocious', The first Portuguese ships arrived offthe coast in 1482. 'frankly obscene','indecent''scarecrows'.a 'Within a decade the sparse Portuguese settlements were In the end, the perception of these objects as 'fetish' reinforced by a significant group of new settlers from is an entirely spurious external view which classifies Europe including representatives of a variety of Catholic objects regardless of indigenous understanding. Indeed it Orders. And by Easter r49r the first baptism of a local has been in situations where an alternative system of Kongo chief had taken place. By May the Kongo king understanding, that based on Christian doctrine, was and several local aristocrats had followed suit; and byJuly making significant inroads among the Kongo that they that same year the first church was already approaching completion.l The first catechism was written down in the local Kikongo dialect in r556, and a dictionary had been prepared by 1652. We do not know for sure the origin of the fetish figures of the Kongo, nor indeed is it at all likely that there could be a single knowable source. Various of these objects were destroyed with the conversion to Christian- in of the famous Kongo king Alfonso I, and so certainly predated the late fifteenth-century encounter of Kongo rvith the Portuguese. Yet it has been suggested that at least one form of so-called fetish figure, that which incor- porates nails, is in fact related to certain nailed images as thev appear in'Western culture. The Kongo objects in quesrion are carved and usually figurative. In addition to nails. r'arious other bits of hardware have often been driven into them. They are discussed in more detail be- Power figure los-. If of Christian or, more generally, European inspira- Songye people, Central Africa rion. such images would represent an evolution of local Trustees of the British Museum, London _i+ ss lou er€ deqtg 'ren 'pa-reeddesrp seq uort?redo rragl 'esJnoseJ e^rlseSSns e pe old pepunorrns eJuo leqt pntrr eqt pue depol peqsrururrp seq osp srg 'Dlesung rr) n€r)-nJ 'roletueruruoc o3uo14 sleelqo qlnsJo asn eqI 'F,^Ao^esrpJo stfe qfnsJo llnser e dq uamr.rr'r pue 696r ruor3 Surtrp legdrurd iloqs y llerrp e ueuo sr erag,l osla pur edornggo surnesntu eql E'perelorsrper dpuece.r pur d-rnluac eql3o ured d1;re aqr ur dtpol pa,L.rese.rd a.rr deqt tc€J er{J 'sreprstno reqlo lo ur pepJoJeJ slcalqo Jql ]noq? slxel elrleuJo uorl€urrurxa serJ?uorssrur ol psodsrp .rreql 'elet due 1r ,-ro - uorlf,nJlsep 'seSeurgo -er € urog peurr8 ueeq seq qrnw les xelduror .rraqr perydur slrelqo qrnsJo doecrge eqt urJerTeq IIeJo dpnuessa ue 8ur1e.tr:un ur pe^on{le ueeq dpre.rp seq p,^.o^Esrc 'qsneJJo lse^rrr{ Jqt pelelared s€.^A slnosJo l?q.^a uo uorlf,eEer ? eJe suorlenresqo Sur.LrolloJ eqJ lse^r?q eqt :uorsre^uor u?rlsrlqSJo^q uortrpuof elq?tl^eur '.qslteJ, I?rtuesselurnb eql 'lsee1 te uortdeored crlqnd ur aql s? pa.^aofioJ ]rE txeu eqa 'Surueeru crloquds luereg 'umue; o] peurlsep e.re daql 'uortrterdrature; dq penlser -grp e elrnb seSrrur esegt ol etnqrr]]r ot pe8r.rnocue ere \ urlrag'ePun>lra]Ig^ r.Tu runesnlAl pBnl:o4 E)r{V lertuaC '(qr1) aldoed o8uo) 'Brqruro3 ep epeprsrJ^run 'orr8olodo.rluy nesnw op eletor1qrg ( rsrryi;) a.rnB g,ra.r,r,o6 elr{V I€rluoC 'eldoed o8uo;1 (rsl;7r) a:n8g:a.r,ro4 V]IUJV f YUIN:I] NI SgdNCI'I SICVW ,,,ii:,iit,,iu"dii&fuini,i,',u'l,iili The 0biec{ and its Function The images themselves are in a variery of forms: the most familiar in ethnographical collections are a series of human figures carved from a solid block of wood.