SULAWESI, INDONESIA - Lot 44

Lot 44
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Estimation :
2000 - 4000 EUR
SULAWESI, INDONESIA - Lot 44
SULAWESI, INDONESIA Tau Tau couple, TORAJA Wood - Height 170 cm (plinth) The pinnacle of the art of the Toraja group, originally from the mountains of North Sulawesi, Tau Tau wooden figures are portraits commissioned by families of very high social rank to commemorate their deceased ancestors. Symbolizing their wealth and opulence, these effigies were crafted with the utmost care and refinement. Accompanying the deceased ancestor to his final resting place, carved into the rock in the middle of a cliff, these sculptures were also considered guardians of the grave and protectors of life. Casting their serene gaze over the valley, they preserved the link between the world of the ancestors and that of the living. If the word "tau" means "man", the repetition of this term can be understood as "who resembles man". A true physical portrait of the deceased, these sculptures ensured his or her life in the afterlife within the kingdom of Poyo.
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