A Berber Head Ornament (Headband) Head ornament (headband) Berber, Morocco Ohne Sockel / without base Silver, enamel, coral. H 16.5 cm. Provenance: Gérald Minkoff (1937-2009) and Muriel Olesen (1948-2020), Geneva. Jewelry in a wide variety of forms and materials has always accompanied and fascinated people of all cultures. From a cultural perspective, however, bracelets and anklets, amulets, finger rings and necklaces are much more than just pieces of jewelry. In large parts of Africa, the masterfully crafted jewels are appreciated for their beauty, but the precious ornaments are above all part of religious beliefs. They are therefore testimony to the affiliation, rank and faith of the wearer. Furthermore, healers prescribed the wearing of protective jewelry for recovery or to avert disaster. The treasures were therefore also worn as magical, protective and empowering objects. In addition to local materials such as gold, silver, copper, iron, stone, ivory, shell or resin, popular imported goods (glass, coral, cowrie shells, etc.) were also used to make these valuable unique pieces. Indian stone beads, for example, reached Africa very early on via the trade routes of the Near East. Later, during Murano's heyday between the 16th and 19th centuries, Italian-made glass beads in particular sold like hot cakes. Due to the value of the raw materials used, the jewelry was also a store of value and was also used as a means of exchange and payment. These pre-coinage means of payment (so-called primitive money) in standardized forms were traded over long distances. Further reading: Draguet, Michel (2021). Mémoires berbères. Des bijoux et des femmes au Maroc, Bruxelles: Fonds Mercator. ----------------------------------------------------- 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 100 / 200 Weight in grams: 255 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, any other damage and signs of age etc., 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.

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African Ethnograhic Art from Gérald & Muriel MINKOFF, Galerie Walu and others Swiss Private Collections.

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

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Hammer Auktionen