Ancestor figure "adu zatua" · Indonesia - Nias · ID: 3053449
Starting price
EUR 5,000
Estimated price
EUR 6,000
Provenance
Arno Henseler, Munich, GermanySize
H: 39,5 cm
H: 15.6 inch
Description
wood, pigments, base
This figure wears a palm leaf crown and long earrings “sialu”, of the kind typically worn by women.
The figures served as homes for the spirits of deceased ancestors and were common throughout Nias. They served as a medium to contact the ancestors. They were revered and received offerings.
Comparing literature
Sibeth, Achim & Bruce W. Carpenter, Nias Sculpture, Mandala Collection, 2013, p. 96 ff.