ART ON VIEW 86 FIG. 4 (below): Mask, beete: ram, bata. Kwele, Gabon. Early–mid 19th century. Wood, pigment. W: 44.8 cm. Private collection. Photo: Peter Zeray, The Photograph Studio, The Metropolitan Museum of Art. and child of Nigeria (visible in fi g. 11), with its wood deeply weathered and worn by generations of outdoor use, assumes a profoundly introspective gaze. Each female fi gure in this section tells a story about pride and protection through her countenance and gestures. One of the most potent ways that African arts convey insight is through their use in educational contexts. “Insight as Education” explains how Lega peoples of the Democratic Republic of the Congo defi ne life as stages of learning. An association called Bwami is dedicated to teaching moral codes and ethical standards by which behavior and integrity are judged. However, unlike many initiation rituals concerned with the stage that bridges childhood to adulthood, Bwami never ends. It is a lifelong learning association, and death and afterlife provide ultimate erudition. The older the members become, the higher they ascend through the ranks of Bwami nated as champion farmers, the performers who wore these works atop their heads enacted the movements of planting, hoeing, and cultivating to dramatize the origins of humanity and infuse agriculture with energy and power. Such works show how the beginnings of humankind can be made present and visible through spiritual connections. Many African works of art depict mother and child as the most essential relationship of human engagement and intimacy. In the sculptures displayed in “Maternal Gaze,” artists express the potency of this bond. For many communities, there is no greater wealth than a child; birth is considered a gift from the gods. A Gwan fi gure made by Bamana peoples of Mali (fi g. 9) possesses exceptional attributes of fertility and force and would have long helped women through the physical challenges of conception and childbirth. An equally regal fi gure of an Mbembe mother
T84 EN Online
To see the actual publication please follow the link above