@nickkahler / nickkahler.tumblr.com
Standing Female Figure, Kongo, c. 1850
'This figure's arms and its diamond and cross insignia refer to the “four moments of the sun”—dawn (birth), noon (life at its fullest), sunset (the end of life's journey), and, finally, for those who lead exemplary lives, a second dawn (rebirth).'
Chris Fennell, Dikenga Cosmogram, c. 2007
The Dikenga is "the Kongo cosmogram that charts the soul's timeless voyage through life. This cosmogram can appear as four points marking the never-ending cycle of life. Moving counter-clockwise, the point at three o'clock indicates birth, twelve o'clock indicates prime of life, nine o'clock indicates elder status, and six o'clock refers to the ancestral realm."
