Pair of ancestor figures "debata idup"
Indonesia - Sumatra, Toba - Batak
sold
EUR 800
Provenance
Italiaander Galleries, Amsterdam, The NetherlandsM. Schüssler, Hamburg, Germany (acquired between 1980 and 1990)
Size
H: 32,5 cm, resp. 34,5 cm
H: 12.8 inch, resp. 13.6 inch
Description
wood, pigment, base
“Debata idup” were always a male-female pair carved in the image of the founding couple of a clan or village. They played an important role in fertility rituals for childless couples. Placed on a rack inside the house, they were regularly “fed” and anointed.