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Description

Headdress, "ere egungun olode" Yoruba, Nigeria Ohne Sockel / without base Wood, textile. H 25 cm. Provenance: Gérald Minkoff (1937-2009) and Muriel Olesen (1948-2020), Geneva. Mask of the egungun covenant, which regulated relations between the ancestors and the living. The Egungun Bund ensures that the ancestors are honoured with prayers, sacrifices and the organization of festivals with mask performances. The Egungun masks used vary from place to place; the one offered here shows a hunter with his typical side braid hairstyle. The ancestors are among the most important forces influencing the human world of the Yoruba. The goal of human existence does not lie in a happy afterlife, but in a life on earth in a vital community that grows larger and stronger with each generation. The ancestors want their life force to return to the community through newborn children. They embody the only cosmic forces that have a strong interest in the prosperity and well-being of the community. They warn its living members through dreams or the oracle when the community is in danger. In the form of egungun masks, they come to the town every year to cleanse the community of criminals and witches. The oversized tuft of hair depicted on these masks is considered a symbol of the hunters. The dancers wore the masks on their heads and the costume was attached to the wooden sculpture. The dress consisted of a multitude of patchwork-like layers of fabric in different colors and patterns, which spread out impressively when the dancer turned quickly. Further reading: Homberger, Lorenz et al. (1991). Yoruba. 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 became 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 400 / 800 Weight in grams: 1353 Condition: The condition (any wear, signs of use, tears, any other deterioration 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. 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 they notify Hammer Auctions within 5 days of receiving the lot.

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Headdress, "ere egungun olode" Yoruba, Nigeria Ohne Sockel / without base Wood, textile. H 25 cm. Provenance: Gérald Minkoff (1937-2009) and Muriel Olesen (1948-2020), Geneva. Mask of the egungun covenant, which regulated relations between the ancestors and the living. The Egungun Bund ensures that the ancestors are honoured with prayers, sacrifices and the organization of festivals with mask performances. The Egungun masks used vary from place to place; the one offered here shows a hunter with his typical side braid hairstyle. The ancestors are among the most important forces influencing the human world of the Yoruba. The goal of human existence does not lie in a happy afterlife, but in a life on earth in a vital community that grows larger and stronger with each generation. The ancestors want their life force to return to the community through newborn children. They embody the only cosmic forces that have a strong interest in the prosperity and well-being of the community. They warn its living members through dreams or the oracle when the community is in danger. In the form of egungun masks, they come to the town every year to cleanse the community of criminals and witches. The oversized tuft of hair depicted on these masks is considered a symbol of the hunters. The dancers wore the masks on their heads and the costume was attached to the wooden sculpture. The dress consisted of a multitude of patchwork-like layers of fabric in different colors and patterns, which spread out impressively when the dancer turned quickly. Further reading: Homberger, Lorenz et al. (1991). Yoruba. 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 became 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 400 / 800 Weight in grams: 1353 Condition: The condition (any wear, signs of use, tears, any other deterioration 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. 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 they notify Hammer Auctions within 5 days of receiving the lot.

Estimate 400 - 800 CHF
Starting price 5 CHF

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For sale on Wednesday 28 Aug : 18:00 (CEST)
basel, Switzerland
Hammer Auktionen AG
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