This nkisi nkonde was initially the property of Ne Cuco — one of the major chiefs of the city of Boma, and a man with whom the Belgian trading-post manager Alexandre Delcommune had a conflict.

This nkisi was of great importance. When Delcommune’s men confiscated the statue, it was practically treated as a hostage-taking by the Kongo leaders. Ne Cuco was even prepared to pay a ransom to get the statue back.

Delcommune was well acquainted with this fetish, famous throughout the region — indeed, he had used it himself in the past. On that occasion, an expensive ‘rental’ of the statue from Ne Cuco had been arranged on the advice of a local official. The young Delcommune wanted to use the statue to track down deserters who had fled from him.

Delcommune played on the fear that the nkisi aroused in order to pressure the population into handing over deserters – who were indeed captured.

The nkisi had to be activated by a nganga (soothsayer, traditional healer), who obviously had to be compensated for this. The nganga ceremonially hit a metal nail into Ne Cuco’s nkisi. If the nail stayed put, according to Delcommune’s report, the ‘client’s’ request was accepted. If the nail fell out, however, it was decided that the nkisi had rejected the request.