Figure ancestrale "adu zatua" · Indonésie - Nord de Nias · ID: 3052691
Description
wood, black, partially crusted patina, traces of pigment, base
An unusually finely and elaborately crafted and especially richly decorated figurine. She wears a headdress consisting of a forehead band adorned all around with rosettes and a tall palm leave crown. A beautiful detail is the intricately worked toggle-like clasp of her “nifatali” necklace at the back of her neck. Both ears are adorned with long earrings, and both wrists are carved with bracelets.
Ancestors played a central role in the art and religion of Nias Island. Nias people call themselves “Ono Niha” (“the children of human beings”) and the name for Nias Island is “Tanö Niha”, which means “Land of the Humans”.
In the past, artists created a variety of ancestor images (“adu”), which housed the spirits of ancestors and allowed for communication between the human and supernatural worlds. While all households owned ancestral figures, more elaborate examples like this one were reserved for the nobility and represented distant, illustrious ancestors, often the founders of noble families.
L’objet Figure ancestrale “adu zatua” numéro d’objet 3052691, a fait partie de la dernière Vente aux enchères 105 du 15 novembre 2025 le Zemanek-Münster Hôtel des ventes. L’objet portant le numéro de lot 119 a atteint un prix de vente de 9 000 €.
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