Catalogue LS-343

niah

Region
North Nias
Culture
niah
Object type
sculpture
LS-343 overview
Overview
LS-343 detail
Detail

Description

Ancestor Figure, Adu zatuo, 19th Century. Provenance: Private Northern New York collection By descent to family member. This iconic Nias figure is amongst the earliest I have handled. lt is extremely rare to find examples with completely unaltered surfaces. lt has a deeply encrusted patina caused from exposure, over a very long period of time, to soot and smoke coming from the fireplace. The sensitively carved body is surmounted by a hauntingly expressive face.