A Nuna Flute Notch flute Gurunsi (Nuna), Burkina Faso Ohne Sockel / without base Wood. H 91.5 cm. Provenance: - Jean David. Acquired in situ before 1991. - Galerie Walu, Zurich. - 2003: Gérald Minkoff (1937-2009) and Muriel Olesen (1948-2020), Geneva. Aerophones are found in many variations throughout Africa, with regionally homogeneous forms enabling a clear geographical classification. The extremely popular instruments are played in different ways depending on the occasion: for themselves or for listeners, individually or in a group, for entertainment or ritually, on the occasion of initiations, celebrations, weddings, births, funerals, etc., or even when hunting to give signals and communicate. The majority of flutes are the personal property of men. They generally receive their first flute on the occasion of their own initiation or as a gift, for example at their engagement. In the simpler form, the handy pipes can be carved by the men themselves, while the more noble versions, both in terms of shape and material, are produced by skilled and paid carvers. The design of the African notch flutes usually allows only two to three notes to be played at different intervals. Accompanied by other flutes, this creates complex monotonous melodies that are close in sound to the local languages. As a result, the nuanced tone sequences can be understood like spoken words according to common literature. The most frequently encountered are notched flutes carved from wood with a cross hole, two or three finger holes and air vents. Rarer are those made of ivory, bone or metal, as well as specimens that are supplemented with other materials such as leather. The almost invariably abstract forms often depict anthropo-zoomorphic hybrid creatures that combine female and male attributes. Worn as jewelry on hanging holes, the instruments are also status symbols and external signs of the owner's rank and affiliation. Particularly valuable notched flutes are well-preserved examples which, in addition to their provenance, age and rarity, also show visible signs of use and a patina that has developed over the years, encrusted and/or shiny, in nuanced brown to black tones. Further reading: Brown, E. (1999). Turn up the Volume. Los Angeles: UCLA Fowler Museum of Cultural History. ----------------------------------------------------- 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: 368 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, possible other impairments and signs of age, if applicable) can be seen in the photos we have uploaded for your documentation. Please do not hesitate 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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Hammer Auktionen