87 FIGS. 7a and b (right): Hornbill mask for the Poro Society. Mano, Liberia. 19th century. Wood, metal, cloth, vegetable fi ber, ink. W: 38.1 cm. Ex J. J. Klejman, New York. Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, museum purchase, gift of the Museum Society Auxiliary, inv. 73.9. Photo © Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. FIG. 5 (above): Mask. Grebo/Kru, Liberia. Mid 19th century. Ex Saul Stanoff, Tarzana; Alain de Monbrison, Paris; André Fourquet, Paris; Maurice de Vlaminck, Paris. Wood, pigment. H: 50.8 cm. Private collection. Photo courtesy of LACMA. FIG. 6 (right): Mask for the Gelede ceremony. Yoruba, Nigeria. 19th century. Wood, polychrome. H: 31.8 cm. Private collection. Photo courtesy of LACMA. side within them, and their gazes are not intended for human eyes so much as the otherworldly eyes of the spirits who regulate humanity. In this section, a Luba throne—a connecting point between the living ruler and his ancestors—depicts a woman peering into another realm. Her inward gaze is one of transcendence as she guarantees the continuity of the kingdom and upholds the rulership as the seat of power (fi g. 13). Masks, more than any other art form, are instilled with the inner eye. Masquerades imply the dual identity of the dancer and the spirit or presence that is awakened and made manifest through performance. “Visionary Performance” explores how every person has an inner eye and an outer eye, and in a sense a masquerader is the ultimate embodiment of this concept. Fleeting moments of masquerade, when the sequence of masks presents an orderly world and the beauty of masks is ephemeral, is the essence of many and the more insight and acuity of vision they acquire and command. Lega sculptures are used in combination with verbal arts, such as proverbs, maxims, and songs, to teach initiates moral precepts and give shape to philosophical concepts. For example, multi-headed fi gures known in Lega proverbs as Sakimatwimatwi, or Mr. Many Heads (fi g. 10), allude to the all-seeing powers of those who have ascended the stages of Bwami and whose acquisition of knowledge enables them to remain wise and fair-minded. Textile design is a dynamic artistic expression that can convey perception through visionary patterns. The striking works in “Patterns of Perception” represent the versatility of Kuba artists, whose designs are embedded with secret knowledge and esoteric wisdom. Used for trade and tribute in precolonial times, woven and richly embroidered raffi a panels (fi g. 12) were objects of transaction and transfer central to securing alliances, creating affi liations, and expanding the infl uence of the kingdom. In southeastern Congo, many sculptural works envision interaction with the spirit world. “Beholding Spirit” examines how emblems associated with Luba royalty such as thrones, scepters, and ceremonial axes are embodiments of spirituality that empower the ruler and the community as a whole. Female images attract spirits to re- THE INNER EYE
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