Subject: mercenary warrior

Culture: tribal Congolese = Azande, Mongo, Ngombe, others

Setting: Belgian Congo late 19th-early 20thc

Kimbell Art Museum > The Language of Power in African Art *

"Male Figure (Singiti) 19th to early 20th century Hemba: Niembo; Democratic Republic of the Congo ...

This figure carrying a long lance and a sword with a curved blade is an example of a rare type of commemorative Hemba work believed to represent a warrior. Infused with a life force, or vital energy, such sculptures -- known as lusingiti (sing. singiti) -- served as mediators between the ancestors and their descendants. Multiple lusingiti would have been assembled with ancestral skulls and bones in a shrine that served as a memorial for esteemed chiefs of the past. In exchange for offerings and prayers, the figures and relics ensured that the ancestors would intervene in times of crisis and misfortune to protect the community's well-being."

* Secret Museum of Mankind

* Secret Museum of Mankind caption

"ARMOR OF MAGIC WAR PAINT SHIELDS THESE WARRIORS

When these warriors of the Belgian Congo prepare for a fight they do not put their trust solely in their shields and weapons, but daub themselves in magic paint that has been charmed by their magicians. Unfortunately, if the enemy use stronger magic, the paint is no protection. Note that the blade of the spear is notched like that of a saw."