A Konso Memorial Figure, "waaga" Konso, Ethiopia Mit Sockel / with base Wood. H 165 cm. Provenance: Gérald Minkoff (1937-2009) and Muriel Olesen (1948-2020), Geneva. The Konso are a people living in south-western Ethiopia (approx. 350,000 people in 2012), whose social cohesion is characterized by an all-pervasive age and generational group system ("gada"), whereby special importance is attached to the cult of ancestors and phalluses. It was a widespread custom for important dignitaries to make or have made such a waaga (also known as waga) portrait statue of themselves during their lifetime. The memorial steles were later erected at their gravesite so that the sitter could continue to be revered as a hero, with the natural weathering giving the sculptures a very special expressiveness. In the same way, the Konso also immortalized the enemies or animals killed by the deceased, and depending on the financial means of the bereaved, a whole scenery of wooden sculptures was created to document the rank and achievements of the deceased. Further reading: Kerchache, Jacques (1988). The art of black Africa. Freiburg im Breisgau: Herder Verlag. -------------------------------------------- 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 1 000 / 2 000 Weight in grams: 18300 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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African and Oceanic Art from the Collections of

Jean-Louis Rinsoz, Marcel Roux, Pierre Vérité, Henri Kamer, Paul Berger-Frei, Gérald and Muriel Minkoff, Charles-Edouard Duflon,

Thierry Santos, Hans und Carla Baumann, René Rickli, Alfons J. Keller, Edwin Bentley Savage, Edith Mbella, Mama Mecano,

Galerie Alain Bovis, Galerie Alain Naoum, Galerie Tribal Art Classics, Galerie Alain Lecomte, Galerie Walu

All items are guaranteed to be as described or your MONEY BACK.

A "Confirmation of Provenance" and a "Right to Dispose" as well as all mentioned certificates will accompany each artwork.

BEST OF LUCK !

Hammer Auktionen