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Ancestor figure „siraha salawa“
wood, black, partially crusted patina,
traces of pigment, base
An unusually finely and elaborately
crafted and especially richly decorated
figurine. She wears a headdress con-
sisting 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 car-
ved 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 hu-
man and supernatural worlds. While all
households owned ancestral figures,
more elaborate examples like this one
were reserved for the nobility and re-
presented distant, illustrious ancestors,
often the founders of noble families.
H: 27,7 cm
Vgl. Lit.: Casanovas, Ana & Antonio, Sea
Art, South East Asian Art, Madrid, 2024
€ 10.000 - 15.000