Male ancestor figure "adu nuwu" or "adu zatua"

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Description

light brown wood, black paint, high towering crown-shaped head ornament with coiled fern ornaments “ni ‘o wöli wöli” and ear ornament, min. dam., traces of insect caused damage, cracks, on wooden base;
the people of Nias believe that the spirits of the dead have supernatural power and that they are able to influence the living in a positive or negative way. By venerating “adu zatua”, wooden images carved in their likeness, they try to appease the spirits and keep them well-disposed.

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Comparing literature

Nias, Tribal Treasures, Delft 1990, p. 203

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