Seated ancestor figure "adu zatua" · Indonesia - Nias · ID: 3036585
not available anymore
Provenance
Bodes en Bode, Den Haag, The NetherlandsMichel Thieme, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Hans van Houwelingen, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Size
H: 33,5 cm
H: 13.2 inch
Description
wood, slightly shiny brown patina, high towering three-parted head crest, hanging earrings on one side (reserved for titled male), rest. (headgear), cracks, slight traces of abrasion, base;
the people of Nias believe the spirits of the dead to have supernatural powers as well as the ability 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.
Comparing literature
Nias, Tribal Treasures, Cosmic reflections in stone, wood and gold, Delft 1990, p. 204 ff.