A Dinka Tobacco Pipe, "dack" Tobacco pipe, "dack" Dinka, Sudan Ohne Sockel / without base Wood, copper alloy. H 12, 5 cm. L 66 cm. Provenance: Gérald Minkoff (1937-2009) and Muriel Olesen (1948-2020), Geneva. Across Africa, women and men use smoking instruments for the pleasurable consumption of tobacco. While the simple pipes served only the primary purpose of smoking and were more easily accessible, particularly elaborately designed tobacco pipes were the privilege of wealthy notables and rulers. Further reading: Cremer, Wolfgang (2004). Pipes, hemp and tobacco in sub-Saharan Africa. Baum Publications. ----------------------------------------------------- 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 300 / 600 Weight in grams: 726 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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