Wood Nail Fetish

Hands on hips, mouth open, it looks ready to deliver a verdict.

This nail fetish is wood and glass. Nail figures are generally linked with the Kongo peoples of Central Africa, where metal driven into the wood is often taken to record agreements, oaths and appeals. The face is whitened, with fine marks across the brow and full parted lips. A ruff of iron strips circles the neck and shoulders. A boxed glass panel sits at the belly, and a woven skirt hangs below. The figure stands on outsized feet carved with toes. It is 21 inches wide and 57 high.

Its stance alone suggests it takes its work seriously.