Figural post ·  Indonesia - South Moluccas - Leti / Babar Island · ID: 3033415

Description

wood, brown patina, traces of black paint, indented base, carved with an armless trunk, ornamented with floral design in flat relief, dam., the surface signed by severe traces of weathering and insect caused damage, on plate;
sacrificial posts played a significant role in rituals that honoured ancestral spirits who presided over the land and instructed the people in the raising of cattle, in agriculure, hunting and fishing, architecture, and social institutions. Not only did the ancestors pass on these traditions to the living, they also watched their descendants to ensure that customs were carefully followed, punishing those who failed to conform. The receptacle on top might have been used for offerings to the ancestors.

Littérature comparée

Capistrano-Baker, Florina, Art of Island Southeast Asia, New York 1994; de Jonge, Nico, Vergeten Eilanden, Amsterdam 1995, p. 50ff