House carving: pair of "singa" heads · Indonesia - Sumatra, Toba - Batak · ID: 3042285
Description
light wood, red, black and white pigment, large round eyes, colourful painted tendril and spiral patterns, recesses backside for attachment, one of the heads strikingly light-weighted, with traces of insect caused damage (above all backside), small deepenings filled with greyish mass or fabric, the heavier head rest. (breakage at the snout), both with minor missing parts, cracks, abrasion of paint (due to weathering);
the central image in Toba Batak art is the “singa”, a supernatural creature whose likeness protects individuals, homes, and communities from malevolent supernatural forces. The name “singa” derives from the Sanskrit word meaning “lion”. However, the Toba Batak “singa” is a fantastic composite that combines features of several different species.
The object House carving: pair of “singa” heads with the object ID 3042285 was last part of the auction 86th Tribal Art Auction at May 27, 2017 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house. The object with the lot number 99 achieved a sales price of EUR 900.
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