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RELIGIONS OF ECSTASY
sacrifice. This sacrifice is acknowledged by all
the Abrahamic religions, and it also serves as a
reminder that sacrifice in African religions serves a
comparable purpose. There is an important lesson
of parallelism to be learned here.
The exhibition continues with an examination
of the cults of possession. Particular emphasis is
placed on Beninese Vodun, most notably evoked
by a selection of bochio figures (fig. 9), a series
of small figurines created in the 1920s by Yesufu
Asogba (who died around 1930), and a group
of axes, or recades, that illustrate the connection
between political power and religion, since Vodun
served as a tool for the sacralization of power in
Abomey.
A look at Haitian Voodoo is next. In addition
to a group of powerful photographs by Jean-
Pierre Grandjean of All Saints’ Day pilgrimages,
we have a group of papier-mâché objects that
represent the Bois Caïman ceremony of August
1791, during which slaves gathered to drink
the blood of a sacrificed pig in order to become
invulnerable as they prepared their insurrection
against their White oppressors.
The last part of the exhibition focuses on magic
and sorcery, which are a key part of African
religious practices. This section begins—and this
will be no surprise to African art aficionados—
with a group of masks. The institution of
masking is traditionally more closely associated
with the function of social regulation, but deeper
investigation reveals that in many respects they
are seen as sacramental for initiates. Christians
need to be baptized, take communion, marry,
receive the last rites, etc. In Africa, to become
an ancestor, one must be initiated, circumcised,
and belong to certain societies. The lipiko masks
of the Makonde of Mozambique, like the large
komo mask of the Bambara of Mali, and the
chikunza of the Tshokwe of Angola (fig. 4) at the
end of the show all relate to the process of life
that enables individuals to become ancestors.
In addition to these masks, the exhibition
includes ones associated with anti-sorcery, such
as Dan masks from Côte d’Ivoire, as seen in
figure 7. These express the connection between
sorcery and religion in Africa. The negative forces
that need to be counteracted are also evoked
by a Mandingo cloak, as well as by Koranic
amulets that protect against bad luck with the
prophet’s words. A large display case contains