Songye power figure, protector of the village, Nsapo region, Congo (Democratic Republic)

"The songye used to use a large number of fetishes and amulets to ensure success, fertility and wealth and ward off hostile forces, and divinition to point to the causes of misfortunes. The statues are made in a vigourous, powerful style; the usual pose is hieratic, upright, with the hands laid on a pointed belly, a long face, with a rounded forehead, flattened nose, jutting angular chin, ..., and large feet incorporated in the base. These statues, dressed in fabrics, feathers and skins, are charged with various substances inserted in the abdomen, sometimes in the mouth, or in the horns sprouting on its head. The power of these ingredients depended, on the one hand, on the incantations spoken by the nganga and, on the other hand, on the ritual acts that accompanied their insertion in the sculpture. The biggest sculptures, handed down from generation to generation, served the community, while the smaller ones were for private use." [Fearsome Statues from the songye in Central Africa: An interview with Father Francois Neyt. Art Tribal no. 5, Spring-Summer 2004, pp. 74-85]. During his trip to Belgian Congo (now Democratic Republic of Congo), Elisofon visited Nsapo villages in the Songye people region. The present day Songye people inhabit a vast area of the Congo concentrated in the province of Eastern and stretching into parts of Katanga and Kiori. The largest subgroups include the Kalebwe, Eastern Songe Songye, Nde, Bala, Cibenji, Lembwe, Songa, Cofew and the Budia. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon was on assignment for Life magazine and traveled to Africa from January 8, 1947 to end of June 1947.