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Wooden figure representing an ancestor

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from northern Nias Island, Indonesia

Wooden figure representing an ancestor
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Ancestor figures (siraha sarawa) such as this were traditionally kept in the houses of the nobility in Nias Island, to protect them and to emphasise the status of the inhabitants. The figure represents the long-dead founding chief.

The male ancestor figure is carved from a single piece of wood, and is shown seated on a stool and wearing a crown, earring and a neck ring. He holds a cup in his left hand, and has a moustache and beard.

The ancestors are important to many people in Indonesia, who believe that the dead join their world, which exists in parallel to ours. Objects such as this figure are believed to have ancestral power, and the ability to protect the living.

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