Fetishes / Ancestral Sculptures

The Cabinet’s extraordinary sculptures from Papua New Guinea are waiting to unfold their elegant charms and inner powers in your home.

Fetishes, also known as Nkisi or Nkondi, are figures invested with magical powers widely used in many parts of Africa to this day. They are crafted on commission by the Nganga (a healer-sage) for a customer’s specific concerns and to resolve all kinds of problems. Once the figure has been carved, its belly is filled with animal and vegetable materials believed to have magical properties. After sealing it well, nails are run into the figure to charge and activate it. The figure may also sport various fragments of mirrors, meant to give it additional power to avert negative forces. When fully formed and activated, the fetish is inhabited by a magical spirit (Nkisi) who has a specific purpose and specific powers (Nkondi), which may be positive or negative in nature. The figures offer protection from sorcery and witchcraft. They are meant to ensure fertility, avert diseases and misfortune or, if they have been charged with negative energy, to wreak havoc. Fetishes are also frequently used as visual objects to assist the closing of a deal between contractual parties. The negative powers of a fetish are believed to be able to harm or even kill a human being.

The spiritual and religious specialists (Nganga) employ these figures to ensure law and order in a community. They can thereby become a village’s guardians, legal experts, healers or ruthless avengers.

Animals

Whether made of wood, metal, the finest porcelain or cast from synthetic resin, a whole colony of the most diverse animals "inhabit" the cabinet of curiosities and are waiting to be adopted by you.

Asian Gods

The Cabinet of Curiosities is also a world of Asian gods. Exclusive bronze figures of Ganesh and statuettes of Guayin, Tara, and Buddha manifest their beauty here.

Power-objects and energy-converters such as vajra thunder clubs, ghanta ritual bells, dorje power tridents, and kapala scull caps from Tibet help to fend off negative energy and to attain greater wisdom.

Sacred Figures

The Cabinet of Curiosities holds numerous wonderful figures of the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ. Whether large or small, made of wood, plaster, biscuit porcelain or metal, each figure has its own special beauty. Each radiates its own unique powers, creating a spiritual atmosphere and waiting for you to let it work its magic in your own home.

Crucifixes

We offer a large variety of crosses of any shape and size. From the smallest silver pendant to the Coptic carry-on cross and the large processional crosses, you will find most beautiful items, rare rosaries and Corpus Christi sculptures made of wood, metal, or stone.