A highly significant, large lidded bowl opon igede or igbaje

A Yoruba Divination Tray ("opon-ifa"), Lid of a Bowl Oracle board ("opon-ifa"), Lid of a bowl Yoruba, Nigeria Ohne Sockel / without base Wood. H 40 cm. Provenance: Gérald Minkoff (1937-2009) and Muriel Olesen (1948-2020), Geneva. Throughout the Yoruba region, oracle consultations with and by ifa priests are an important institution. People seeking help turn to the priest for advice on personal or higher-level matters. During the consultation, the priest knocks on the board with a mallet to attract the attention of orunmila, the deity to whom the request for divination is addressed. He then throws palm nuts according to a precisely prescribed pattern. The oracle board opon-ifa is a kind of notepad for combinations of throws to be interpreted later. The ifa boards are characterized by their flat shape and the edge carved with figures and geometric patterns. The face on the edge of the board represents eshu, who also acts as the messenger of the gods. This is a lid of a container called an "opon igede Ifa" (missing) in which priests called "babalawo" also kept divination utensils for the ifa oracle (including a bell, an oracle staff, 16 sacred fruit seeds from a palm tree or, as an alternative, a divination necklace, etc.). Further reading: Abiodun, Rowland / Drewal, Henry / Pemberton, John (1991). Yoruba art and aesthetics in Nigeria. Zurich: Museum Rietberg. ----------------------------------------------------- Gérald Minkoff and Muriel Olesen Muriel Minkoff-Olesen (1948- 2020) completed her training at the School of Design in Geneva. Gérald Minkoff (1937-2009) was a trained anthropologist and biologist. Both achieved fame as artists and from their meeting in 1967, the emblematic couple of contemporary art were inseparable. The travel-loving Olesen-Minkoff duo explored life like curious nomads, roaming the globe from Africa to Asia, Oceania, America and Patagonia. As artists and experienced collectors of contemporary art, they understandably had a keen sensitivity to the aesthetics and concepts of non-European art. The couple's Geneva apartment, perhaps their most beautiful joint work, thus became a place where the works of close friends such as Daniel Spoerri, Arman and Man Ray, as well as their own photographs, lived together with almost a thousand objects from Africa, Oceania, Asia and South America. CHF 1 000 / 2 000 Weight in grams: 2402 Condition: The condition of this lot (wear, signs of use, tears, any other detractions and the signs of age, etc. The condition of this lot (wear, tears, possible other impairments and signs of age, if applicable) can be seen in the photos we have uploaded for your documentation. Please feel free to contact Hammer Auctions with any questions regarding this lot ([email protected]). The statements regarding the condition of the items made for the convenience of interested parties are opinions only and should not be treated as statements of fact. Hammer Auctions accepts no responsibility for any errors or omissions. In the rare event that the item does not match the description in the catalog, Hammer Auctions is here to help. Buyers may return the lot for a full refund provided Hammer Auctions has been notified within 5 days of receipt of the lot.