2 Sihanaka ceremonial paddles 2 ceremonial paddles Sihanaka, Madagascar Ohne Sockel / without base Wood. H 107.5 - 111.5 cm. Provenance: Gérald Minkoff (1937-2009) and Muriel Olesen (1948-2020), Geneva. Bertrand Goy describes such paddles in 2015 in the book "Arts anciens de Madagascar" as follows: "Pagaies d'Ambatondrazaka Sur la poignée des pagaies, des figurines d'hommes et d'animaux, d'un art primitif sans doute, mais plein d'observation; signalons en passant que ces ouvrages en bois sculptés viennent d'Ambatondrazaka. (...) Ambatondrazaka is a localité située au nord-est de Madagascar, actuellesment chef-lieu de district dans la région Alaotra-Mangoro. A short distance away, on these high plateaus, lies Lake Alaotra, the largest lake in the island, part of which was reclaimed in the 1950s to create an important fishing region. Fishing has developed considerably there, especially since the Sikanaka rivers have always exploited the resources of the lake, particularly the anguilles. (...) Basse-cour et faune sauvage constituententent les thèmes favoris des sculpteurs de pagaies pour qui le zébu tient la tête devant les caméléons, les poules, les cochons, les chevaux et les oiseaux divers. In smaller proportions, humans are also found at the foot of the poignées, both on foot and on horseback. The size and fragility of these objects, as well as the quality of the wood used, rosewood, palissandre... exclude their use as an accessory for navigation. (...) D'autres pagaies, fonctionnelles celles-ci, sont visibles au musée des Confluences, à Lyon, sous l'appellation fivohy (rame). Their shape is identical to that of the pagaies sihanaka, with the difference that their point is not decorated with a sculpted motif. Elles sont encore utilisées sur le canal des Pangalanes." See: Goy, Bertrand (2015). Arts anciens de Madagascar. Milan: 5 Continents Editions. Page 41-45. ----------------------------------------------------- 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: 1520 Condition: Various visible damages and knocks (see photos). -------------------------------- The condition of this lot (wear, signs of use, tears, any other damage and signs of age, etc.) can be seen in the photos we have uploaded for your documentation. 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]). Any statements regarding the condition of 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