These figures are a type of declaration of ethical and moral principles on catching offenders who remain unknown and, in this sense, allude to the active relationship between the world of invisible causes and their visible effects.

The better known Kongo minkisi pieces belong to the nkondi category, which means "hunter". These are used in the identification of dissimulated transgressors - thieves, or people responsible for someone's illness or death through obscure means.

The nkondi vessels are usually wooden figures to which several substances were added by filling strategically placed cavities in the head, the belly, between the legs, the back or other parts of the body, and sealed with a resin. The ritual practices that activate the nkisi, involve libations, nails and blades which are embedded into the figure. With time, the marks accumulated by the nkisi reveal their successes, also increasing their plastic dimension and ability to inspire fear.