Fifteenth-century missionaries and Portuguese emissaries aware of the scepters and staffs used as emblems of power among Kongo rulers introduced crucifixes into this local custom. Kongo artists continued creating images of Christ, which tend to have African features, even after the missionaries departed in the mid-18th century. The cross in Kongo cosmology represents the meeting of this world and the spirit world, which may account for the continued use of the crucifix.

Print text