A Punu-Lumbo Mask, "okuyi" Mask, "okuyi" Punu-Lumbo, Gabon Ohne Sockel / without base Wood. H 26 cm. Provenance: - Pierre Bergé & Associés, Paris. 28.04.2006, lot 151. - Gérald Minkoff (1937-2009) and Muriel Olesen (1948-2020), Geneva. Described by Pierre Bergé (London, 28.04.2006, lot 151) as follows: "Masque féminin en forme de coeur à coiffure tressée. Polychromie blanche, rouge et noire. Ancienne patine d'usage (accidents). Peuple Lumbo (Gabon), début du XXe siècle." -------------------------------------------- In the Ngounié valley of south-western Gabon, the okuyi dance society plays a central role in the social life of the communities. The classic white masks embody a spirit and mainly appear at funerals, usually in the early hours of the morning or at dusk. Wrapped in cotton or raffia fabrics and animal skins, the mask dancer balanced on stilts up to two meters high and occasionally wielded a whip to scare the audience. The white color stood for everything otherworldly and thus for the cycle of life and the world of the ancestors. The idealized face with its calm, clear forms, gentle curves and raised eyebrows above the narrow eye slits is painted with kaolin clay, except for the black hairstyle. Further reading: Falgayrettes-Leveau, Christiane (2006). Gabon. Présence des Esprits. Paris: Éditions Dapper. -------------------------------------------- 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: 435 Condition: The condition (wear, eventual cracks, tear, other imperfections and the effects of aging etc. if applicable) of this lot is as visible on the multiple photos we have uploaded for your documentation. Please feel free to contact Hammer Auktionen for all questions you might have regarding this lot ([email protected]). Any condition statement given, as a courtesy to a client, is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Hammer Auctions shall have no responsibility for any error or omission. In the rare event that the item did not conform to the lot description in the sale, Hammer Auktionen is here to help. Buyers may return the item for a full refund provided you notify Hammer Auktionen within 5 days of receiving the item. -------------------------------- The condition (possible wear, signs of use, cracks, possible other damage and 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