Seated ancestor figure "iene" · Indonesia - Moluccas - Leti Island · ID: 3043217
sold
EUR 2,400
Provenance
Karl Heinz Zühlsdorf, Cologne, GermanyManfred Pütz, Cologne, Germany
Size
H: 18,5 cm
H: 7.3 inch
Description
wood, dark brown patina, strongly encrusted in parts, typical seated posture, wing-shaped headdress, slightly dam. (arms), missing parts (both shanks/headdress).
Figures “iene” were carved shortly after a person’s death to serve as a receptacle for the departed spirit. To attract the soul, the “iene” were placed on a gold plate, and wrapped in red cloth. Honoured with offerings of food and prayers, “iene” bridged the spirit world and the realm of the living.
Comparing literature
Barbier, Jean Paul & D. Newton (ed.), Islands and Ancestors, Munich 1988, p. 316