Kongo: Majesty and Power, Metropolitan Museum

In nineteenth century Congo, as European trading companies and colonizers (Belgium, France and Portugal) started to bypass the local Congolese chiefs, the chiefs tried to reassert their authority by creating a new instrument of law and order, the n’kondi.

To bring this system to life sculptors made a container that would house a spiritual force to enforce social and economic contracts. Each nail, blade or screw hammered into the container represents a contract. A metal tag signified a binding, witnessed agreement. Needless to say, the n'kondi was no match for the colonizers.

The n'kondi in this photo is part of a fascinating exhibit "Kongo: Majesty and Power" at the Metropolitan Museum.