A Kuba Belt, "yeemi bushyaam mu-imbiim" Belt, "yeemi bushyaam mu-imbiim" Cuba, DR Congo Ohne Sockel / without base Glass beads, cowrie snails, textile. W 10 cm. L 154.5 cm. Provenance: Gérald Minkoff (1937-2009) and Muriel Olesen (1948-2020), Geneva. The name "Kuba" comes from the Bantu language and means "throwing knife". The Kingdom of Kuba was an association of around 20 Bantu-speaking ethnic groups that ruled autonomously as a political confederation from the 17th to the end of the 19th century, until it lost its autonomy under the pressure of Belgian colonial rule. However, the confederation dominated by the Bushong ruling class still exists today and, in addition to the Bushoong, includes the Ngeende, Ngongo, Kete and Shoowa. The Kuba have a particular fondness for geometric shapes and decorate most utensils and ritual objects with intricate, mostly geometric patterns. This characteristic is also reflected in the ceremonial jewelry (byoongl), which also includes the stately belts worn by important women and men. The raffia or jute straps worn around the middle of the body are embroidered with glass beads and cowries (lapash), which, due to their function as a means of payment, testify to the wearer's wealth." The popular accessories of the upper class each have specific names and meanings, just like the ornaments on them, with the ceremonial belts serving not only decorative purposes but also to hold together and improve the fit of the wraparound garments. Further reading: Cornet, Joseph-Aurelien (1982). Art Royal Cuba. Milan: Edizioni Sipiel, pp. 202ff. ----------------------------------------------------- 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 200 / 400 Weight in grams: 459 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 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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Hammer Auktionen