Amulet in the form of a necklace of glass beads with leopard’s claws and a wooden cross. Exactly what the object was used for or symbolised is not known. Like much of the ornaments of the region, it served the dual purpose of being beautiful and communicating with the world of the spirits. From the spirits in the land of the dead, the Kongo took strength, protection and power to cure illness and injury.
The necklace mixes local and European religious symbols. The wooden cross is both a dikenga – the Kongo cross that describes the cosmos – and a crucifix from the Catholic tradition. Between the heavy glass beads hang two leopard’s claws. The leopard was the preeminent symbol of political power, evoking both physical and spiritual strength.
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