A nkama ntinu scepter of authority A rare object, this nkama ntinu scepter of authority depicts a chief sculpted in bust form in the extension of the tip of the tusk, holding in both hands, with both arms folded over the umbilicus in a traditional gesture, a scepter of authority of the same type. This nkama ntinu is all the rarer for the fact that it is always embellished with its bilongo, "magic charge", here perfectly preserved. It is this bilongo, whose ball of black plant resin is only visible from the outside, containing various plant and mineral elements, which gives this scepter its supernatural power and reinforces the mystical power of its owner and of the royal power. In particular, it is known that earth from an ancestor's grave could be added to add to its strength. The claw of a burrowing animal embedded in the dried resin has been preserved at its tip, along with a circular painting of white pigment, a color dedicated to the ancestors. Also visible are the ochre-orange stigmata of kola nut sacrifices to meet the demands of its owner. An alert dog is carved below the figure looking towards him. The dog is considered to have many eyes among the Bakongo, and has the power to be a bridge between the realm of the ancestors and the living. A beautiful frieze of cowrie shells is carved all around the upper part of the scepter. Once used as currency, cowrie shells symbolize the kingdom's wealth and prosperity. Such scepters could have been entrusted to dignitaries on their travels or diplomatic missions, to represent and attest to royal authority, or entrusted to and held by notables serving judicial authority. Emblematic of royal authority, the carving of nkama ntinu scepters ceased in Bakongo country long ago. They were subsequently passed down through the families of their former owners as family relics. This previously unpublished work from the Jean Roudillon Collection is one of a limited corpus of some fifty works to date. Bakongo or Yombe, Democratic Republic of Congo Elephant ivory, old oxidation and significant desiccation at the tip (small lack, old breakage and crack visible), vegetable resin, white mineral pigment, claw and various elements making up the charge, superb old patina. H. 35 cm See: for other nkama ntinu scepters in Art Bakongo Insigne de pouvoir-Le sceptre, R. Lehuard, Art d'Afrique Noire, Arnouvillle1998 Provenance : Jean Roudillon Collection