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88 African performance idioms. But just as vital are the specifi c choreographies that defi ne the dance of masks and how visuality can be shaped and transformed in the process—for example, when performers of the round kidumu masks of the Teke/Tsaye (fi g. 14) cartwheeled, they were turning upside down to divide upper realms of human activity from a mirrored spiritual plane beneath, as represented in the mask design. The somersaults of the spirits brought visibility to ancestral forces that bore upon human circumstances of the here and now. “Vigilant Sentinels” demonstrates how among the most important roles of the eyes in the arts of Africa is to “see” and thus promote wellbeing and protect individuals and communities from misfortune and peril. In many instances, it is critical to call upon the spirit world for assistance in the defl ection of malevolence and the maintenance of social harmony. Some of the most monumental sculptures are made for such purposes and often possess striking eyes complemented by “inner eyes” that apprehend invisible forces at work for and against those devoted to such spiritual presences. In this section, a seven-headed forest spirit sculpture made by an Ijo artist of the Niger Delta protects a community from wilderness dangers (fi g. 15). This work and other imposing Kongo and Songye power fi gures provide warning to any who dare ART ON VIEW


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