Ancestor figure "adu zatua" · Indonesia - Nias · ID: 3047772
not available anymore
Provenance
Yann Ferrandin, Paris, FranceZemanek-Münster, 21 March 2015, Lot 7
Piet Lepelaar, Leiden, The Netherlands
Size
H: 23 cm
H: 9.1 inch
Description
wood, pigment, base
The function, symbolism, and names of the “adu” are bewildering and knowledge of their specific uses incomplete. What is known is that they served as mediators between the supernatural and natural world of humans, by which the island’s inhabiantants communicated with and influenced the ancestors, gods, and spirits for two main purposes: to secure prosperity and blessings, and to protect against disease and disaster (Sibeth & Carpenter, 2013, p. 96 f.).