A Bamana Mask with 12 horns, "ntomo" - Mask with 12 horns, "ntomo"
Bamana, Mali
Ohne Sockel / without base
Wood. H 82 cm.
Provenance:
Gérald Minkoff (1937-2009) and Muriel Olesen (1948-2020), Geneva.
Taking into account local differences and being aware of the changes over time, the traditional socio-religious order of Bamana society can be divided into successive secret societies (jow), in which members were given access to the rules and knowledge of the tribe through initiation according to their age or maturity. Each of these societies had its own, clearly differentiated mask system.
Ntomo
A primary school-like seven-year cycle for girls and boys from the age of about seven, divided into classes (lions, toads, birds, guinea fowls and dogs). Ntomo masks appeared during the dry season as the initiates migrated from village to village and had as a common feature the vertical structure above an anthropomorphic face, the number of horns of which indicated the gender of the mask. The relatively inconspicuous mouth indicates the most important teaching of Ntomo, the control of the word and the value of silence.
Korè
Korè was the continuation of Ntomo and marked the transition from adolescence to adulthood. The 14-21 year old novices underwent a ritual death and subsequent resurrection. They were taught in classes (lions, hyenas and monkeys) in the bush camp, e.g. in matters of faith, medicine, sexuality, life cycles or hunting. Korè masks represented the symbolic animals of each class and appeared annually at the end of the dry season and at funerals.
Jo
An initiatory compound more common in the southern region, similar to Ntomo and Korè, which was also open to young women. The initiates would travel to the surrounding areas and perform the songs and dances they had learned, with some of these groups including female figures carved from wood (jo nyeleni).
After this initial training with a more educational purpose, the Bamana were free to complete further initiations in male or female groups, such as komò, kònò, ci-wara and many more, all of which perform specific tasks within Bamana society.
Further reading:
Colleyn, Jean-Paul (2001). Bamana, African Art from Mali. Zurich: Museum Rietberg.
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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 800 / 1 200
Condition:
One horn is missing (front row), one is glued on (back row).
One horn is missing (front row), one is glued on (back row).
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The condition (wear, eventual cracks, tear, other imperfections and the effects of aging etc. if applicable) of this lot is as visible on the multiple photos we have uploaded for your documentation.
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The condition (possible wear, signs of use, cracks, possible other damage and signs of age, etc.) of this lot can be seen in the photos we have uploaded for your documentation.
If you have any questions about this item, please do not hesitate to contact Hammer Auctions (info@hammerauktionen.ch).
The information on the condition of the objects, which has been provided to interested parties for reasons of relevance, is only a
Estim. 800 - 1,200 CHF
