A Baule Collier Royal, "komignammon Collier Courtois, "komignammon Baule, Côte d'Ivoire Sans socle / without base Alliages de cuivre. L 45,5 cm. Provenance : - Jean-Louis Rinsoz (1932-1971), Vevey. - Héritiers Jean-Louis Rinsoz, Suisse romande. Depuis toujours, les bijoux de formes et de matières les plus diverses accompagnent et fascinent les hommes de toutes les cultures. D'un point de vue culturel, les bracelets de bras et de pied, les amulettes, les bagues et les colliers sont bien plus que de simples bijoux. Dans une grande partie de l'Afrique, les bijoux fabriqués de main de maître sont certes appréciés pour leur beauté, mais les précieux ornements font aussi et surtout partie des croyances religieuses. Ils témoignent donc de l'appartenance, du rang et de la foi de ceux qui les portent. De plus, les guérisseurs prescrivent le port de bijoux protecteurs pour la guérison ou pour éviter le malheur. Les objets précieux étaient donc également portés en tant qu'objets magiques, de protection et de force. Pour la fabrication de ces précieuses pièces uniques, on utilisait non seulement des matériaux locaux comme l'or, l'argent, le cuivre, le fer, la pierre, l'ivoire, les coquillages ou la résine, mais aussi des produits d'importation très appréciés (verre, corail, cauris, etc.). Les perles de pierre indiennes, par exemple, sont arrivées très tôt en Afrique par les routes commerciales du Proche-Orient. Plus tard, pendant l'âge d'or de Murano entre le 16e et le 19e siècle, ce sont surtout les perles de verre de fabrication italienne qui se sont vendues comme des petits pains. En raison de la valeur des matières premières utilisées, les bijoux constituaient également un investissement et étaient utilisés comme moyen d'échange et de paiement. Ces moyens de paiement pré-monnayés (appelés monnaie primitive) aux formes standardisées étaient échangés sur de longues distances. En Afrique, l'utilisation de manillas importées en alliage de cuivre comme objets d'échange remonte au moins au XVIe siècle, lorsque les Portugais ont établi des comptoirs en Afrique de l'Ouest. Au fil du temps, ces produits importés ont été refondus et moulés ou forgés dans de nouvelles formes, tandis que d'autres matériaux, comme le fer, étaient de plus en plus échangés de la même manière. Au début du 20e siècle, la plupart des puissances coloniales ont interdit ces formes monétaires comme moyen de paiement afin d'établir leurs propres monnaies. Littérature complémentaire : Borel, France (1999). Les bijoux. Objets précieux d'Afrique, d'Asie, d'Océanie et d'Amérique. De la collection Ghysels. Ostfildern-Ruit : Hatje Cantz. ----------------------------------------------------- Jean-Louis Rinsoz Jean-Louis Rinsoz est né en 1932 à Vevey. Après avoir terminé sa scolarité, il a étudié les sciences économiques à l'Université de Lausanne (Faculté d'économie d'entreprise, HEC) avant d'entrer dans l'entreprise familiale "Rinsoz et Ormond SA" à Vevey, qui fabriquait du tabac, des cigares et des cigarettes. Profondément attaché à sa région d'origine, il a toujours été fortement impliqué dans les activités sociales, culturelles et industrielles de Vevey. Afin de diversifier les sources d'approvisionnement en tabac et de répondre aux exigences croissantes d'un marché en pleine expansion, Jean-Louis Rinsoz a cherché de nouveaux espaces de production. Ses voyages l'ont d'abord conduit dans le Maryland (États-Unis) puis, au milieu des années 1960, en Côte d'Ivoire. Ce pays a été pour lui une révélation. Tout ce qui le passionnait était là : la nature, les gens et leur culture ! Outre le développement d'un important partenariat économique avec l'État ivoirien, à travers la création de plusieurs centres de production de tabac là-bas, Jean-Louis Rinsoz a financé l'ouverture d'une série de petites écoles pour permettre aux enfants de ce pays d'accéder à l'éducation. Il a été officiellement nommé par l'État ivoirien "Consul honoraire de Côte d'Ivoire en Suisse avec résidence à Vevey" et a même été intronisé chef de village dans la région du Baoulé. L'art traditionnel de ces régions le fascinait tout autant, dans sa dimension sociale, esthétique et religieuse. C'est dans ce contexte qu'il a rencontré l'ethnologue et historien de l'art Bohumil Holas, alors directeur du Musée des civilisations de Côte d'Ivoire à Abidjan. Les deux hommes sont devenus amis. De la confluence de tous ces facteurs est née l'exposition "Arts de la Côte d'Ivoire. Les trésors du Musée d'Abidjan", qui s'est tenue en 1969 au Musée des Beaux-Arts de Vevey. Jean-Louis Rinsoz en était le président du comité. L'émouvante préface qu'il a écrite pour le catalogue de cette manifestation témoigne de son profond attachement à ce pays. Jean-Louis Rinsoz avait demandé la nationalité ivoirienne. Il ne devait jamais voir ce jour, puisqu'il est décédé dans un tragique accident en 1971. Les objets africains de la collection personnelle de Jean-Louis Rinsoz sont restés depuis lors en possession de la famille et ce "trésor de Vevey" sera présenté pour la première fois aux collectionneurs internationaux d'objets traditionnels africains lors de notre vente aux enchères.

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2. In addition to the bid price, the successful bidder must pay a surcharge of 26% on top of the the hammer price up to CHF 100'000, and of 21% above CHF 100'000.

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After this 30 days period of free storage, Hammer Auktionen will charge a daily fee of CHF 10 per item for storage and insurance.

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5. The auction house is prepared of its own free will to cancel the successful bid and to refund the bid price, the surcharge and the VAT if within 2 month from the date of the successful bid the purchased item is found to be a deliberate modern forgery. A deliberate modern forgery is deemed to be an imitation which may be proven to have been produced with the intention to deceive whether with regard to the originator, origin, date, age, period, cultural society or source without this being shown in the catalogue and if, at the time of the sale, its value was less than the value of an item corresponding to that described in the catalogue. However, HAMMER AUKTIONEN's warranty does not in any way apply to the attribution of authorship and/or period of paintings, watercolors, drawings and sculpture which were or, according to the particulars given in the catalogue.

A refund requires that the successful bidder makes a complaint to HAMMER AUKTIONEN by registered letter immediately after the discovery of the defect and returns the forged item to HAMMER AUKTIONEN in the same condition as it was sold to him and unencumbered by third parties claims. The successful bidder must provide proof that the auctioned item is a forgery when compared with the description in the catalogue and that the item is indeed the auctioned item.

No claims of any kind may be made if the description in the catalogue corresponds to the latest specialist knowledge or the opinion of the majority of authoritative experts at the time when the catalogue was prepared and/or if the fake could not be recognized in accordance with the latest research and with generally accepted and practiced scientific methods at the time when the catalogue was prepared or could only have been recognized by means of a scientific process which was unreasonably expensive or impractical to use or was likely to have caused damage to the property.

6. A bid is a binding offer. The bidder remains bound by his bid until a higher bid is given or until it is rejected by the auctioneer. In the event of a double bid, the call for bids is immediately made once again; in doubtful cases the auction management decides. Ownership is transferred to the purchaser with the successful bid. HAMMER AUKTIONEN retains a right of retention and a lien on all the purchasers items in its custody until full payment of all monies owed. HAMMER AUKTIONEN may exercise such liens by private sale or in accordance with the legislation on the enforcement of debts on whatever conditions seem appropriate.

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9. HAMMER AUKTIONEN reserves the right to combine, separate or omit numbered lots in the catalogue or to offer them out of sequence. HAMMER AUKTIONEN reserves the right to sell lots conditionally at its sole discretion. The hammer price will be considered as conditional, and the highest bidder will remain bound by his bid for 14 days following the auction. The highest bidder will be released from all obligations if he does not receive a statement from HAMMER AUKTIONEN within this period declaring the hammer price as final.

10. The auctioned items must be collected at the purchaser's own expense within 7 days from the end of the auction. The opening hours of HAMMER AUKTIONEN are the following: Tuesday to Friday from 10 AM to 12 PM and from 2 PM to 6 p.m. HAMMER AUKTIONEN is closed on Mondays and Saturdays. If time permits, the items are handed over after each session. They are handed over in return for payment in cash pursuant with Clause 1.

During the said period HAMMER AUKTIONEN is liable for loss, theft, damage or destruction of items which have been auctioned and paid for but only up to the total of the auction price, surcharge and VAT. HAMMER AUKTIONEN ceases to have liability after the said period. No liability can be assumed for frames and glass. If the auctioned items are not collected within 7 days, they are stored at the successful bidder's expense and risk. In such cases, the fees incurred are added to the bid price.

Three weeks after the auction, all furniture and furnishings over 50 cm in bigness will be sent for storage to the warehouse in Basel City. The objects may be collected at the warehouse by contacting the warehouse directly. All storage costs will be invoiced to the buyer by the warehouse. Storage is subject to the business conditions of the warehouse, which are available upon request from the warehouse.

HAMMER AUKTIONEN accepts written instructions concerning transport. Unless otherwise agreed in writing, items to be transported are insured by HAMMER AUKTIONEN at the principal's expense. Glass-covered pictures and fragile items are not dispatched by HAMMER AUKTIONEN.

11. If payment is not made or is not made promptly (Clause 1), HAMMER AUKTIONEN may at its discretion claim fulfillment of the purchase agreement or cancel the successful bid at any time without allowing a period of notice or giving any other notification. The successful bidder is liable for all prejudice caused by non-payment or late payment and, should the successful bid be cancelled, particularly for any loss of proceeds if the auctioned item is sold elsewhere.

12. Each successful bidder acquires personal liability for the bid accepted from him. Proof of the power of representation may be requested from persons bidding as agents for a third party or as an organ of a corporate body. The agent is jointly and severally liable with his principal for the fulfillment of all obligations.

13. Written bids from potential buyers who cannot attend the auction in person are accepted up to 24 hours before the bidding begins.

Potential buyers may bid by telephone if they have given written notice at least 24 hours before the auction begins. We do not accept telephone bids for amounts under CHF 500. Please leave a written bid or participate in the salesroom.

Potential buyers who intend to place their bids in the course of an Online Auction via the Internet may participate in the auction after their registration applications were approved by HAMMER AUKTIONEN. HAMMER AUKTIONEN reserves the right to decline registration applications at its discretion.

HAMMER AUKTIONEN refuses all liability for any kind of bids as well as advance notifications of telephone bidding which are not taken into consideration. Telephone bidders and persons giving written instructions are also subject to the provisions of Clause 7 relating to proof of identity and of financial soundness. For bidders placing bids in the course of an Online Auction via the Internet Clause 7 only applies with regards to financial soundness. This is in any event without prejudice to Clause 8.

14. The physical auctions (floor sales) are attended by an official of the Basel City Mayor's Office. The attending official, the local authority and the State have no liability for the acts of HAMMER AUKTIONEN.

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16. The foregoing conditions form part of each individual sales agreement concluded at the auction. Amendments are binding only with HAMMER AUKTIONEN's written agreement.

17. Swiss law alone is applicable to all business relations with HAMMER AUKTIONEN as well as to all business relations resulting from and arising out of the sale at auction.

The place of performance is Basel and the courts of Basel Stadt have jurisdiction. HAMMER AUKTIONEN may, however, bring legal action before any other competent court.

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