Male ancestor figure "yene" ·  Indonesia - Moluccas, Kei Islands · ID: 3044968

Description

wood,
Such images were called “yene”. Each depicted a specific recently deceased individual and served as a vessel in which his or her spirit resided temporarily before departing for the land of the dead and to which it periodically returned to receive offerings or be consulted about important matters.

On Leti, the pose of “yene” indicated the gender and status of the deceased. Male ancestors were shown seated with the legs drawn in to the body, and female ancestors were depicted with the legs crossed.

The object Male ancestor figure “yene” with the object ID 3044968 was last part of the auction 90.I Tribal Art and 90.II Contemporary Native American Art at November 17, 2018 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house and had the lot number 6.

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Comparing literature

Capistrano-Baker, Florina, Art of Island Southeast Asia, New York 1994, ill. 47