Large-scale power figures such as this example were central to the life of Songye communities spread over a vast territory in east-central Democratic Republic of the Congo. Designed to act as intercessors between ancestral spirits and the living, nkishi were intended to benefit the entire community and were not the property of a single individual. The consecration of a nkishi was a public event unifying the community; chiefs and elders commissioned the nkishi and the community was responsible for cutting the tree selected for the carving, often selected for its curative or toxic properties.

Nkisi or Nkishi (plural varies: minkisi, zinkisi, or nkisi) are spirits, or an object that a spirit inhabits. It is frequently applied to a variety of objects used throughout the Congo Basin in Central Africa especially in the Territory of Cabindathat are believed to contain spiritual powers or spirits.

This figure is defined by the use of shells which denote striking white eyes, and by the unique necklace also made up of large pointed shells. The use of shells as a decorative feature relates to their use as a form of currency within African tribes, reflecting the importance of this figure and the wealth of the soul it represented.