A Sapi Stone Head, "nomoli" Stone head, "nomoli" Sapi, Sierra Leone Mit Sockel / with base Stone. H 14.5 cm. Provenance: Gérald Minkoff (1937-2009) and Muriel Olesen (1948-2020), Geneva. Most of the known stone figures were found in the area between the Sherbro Islands and Guinea, between western Liberia and the Temne country in Sierra Leone. The chance finds in the Kissi and Mende areas were discovered by field workers or uncovered on riverbanks. In 1883, the British colonial official T.J. Alldridge was the first to find two objects on Sherbro Island, which he subsequently sold to the British Museum. Since then, a number of objects have ended up in museums and collections, while others have been retained by the local population. The Kissi and most other ethnic groups in the region call the sculptures pomdo (pomtan = the dead) and regard them as ancestors turned into stone to whom the owners make offerings. The Mende call the stylistically distinct works they find nomoli (Mz. nomolisia = found spirits). They are aware that they must be artifacts left behind by earlier cultures and use them in fertility rites. The rarest stone works are the impressive, sometimes life-size heads from the Mende region. They are known locally as mahen yafe (spirit of the chief) and are the property of the poro confederation. These heads are not fragments of larger figures and the bases used as plinths are not broken. In 1852, the British missionary George Thompson discovered five of these objects at the foot of a tree, all of which may have been accidentally or deliberately damaged. When he asked the local rulers about the origin of the stones, they replied that these objects must have grown here, as none of their people could make such things. A wide-ranging mineralogical test carried out by the Musée de l'Homme in 1945 on around 300 objects revealed that around two thirds were made of steatite (= soapstone, a naturally occurring chemical substance that is easy to work with) and the remainder of chlorite schist, amphibolite, granite and dolerite. Stylistically, the evidence is very similar to the Afro-Portuguese ivory carvings from the 16th and early 17th centuries that were made in the same area by local craftsmen on behalf of the Portuguese nobility. European merchants referred to this area along the coast as the "Land of the Sapes" (or Sapis). It is difficult to say how old the stonework really is, but the evidence so far suggests that the early work is related to the Sapi class of the time. Although the Kissi in particular have long upheld the ancient tradition, stone carving is now practiced in this region for decorative purposes only. Further reading: F.J. Lamp (2018). Ancestors in Search of Descendants: Stone Effigies of the Ancient Sapi. New York: QCC Art Gallery Press, New York. -------------------------------------------- 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 3 000 / 6 000 Weight in grams: 2625 Condition: The condition (possible wear, signs of use, tears, possible other impairments and the signs of age etc.) of this lot can be seen in the photos we have uploaded for your documentation. If you have any questions about this item, please do not hesitate to contact Hammer Auctions ([email protected]). The information regarding the condition of the items provided for the convenience of interested parties is an opinion only and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Hammer Auctions accepts no responsibility for any errors or omissions.