Southeast Asia, Indonesia, South Sulawesi, Toraja people, ca. 1960s CE. A gorgeous carved-wood shutter made to decorate a traditional ancestral house, known as a tongkonan, which is considered the center of Toraja social and spiritual life. Like this example, each carving bares a geometric motif that has an individual name and is painted in hues of red - the color of blood and symbolic of human life, white - the color of bone for purity, yellow for God's blessing and power, and black for death and darkness. Boasting an intricately incised decoration, this beautiful example is adorned with the abstract relief of a spiraling maze-like motif, possibly representing seaweed in the water. As no writing exists within the Toraja language, these carved wood decorations, called Pa'ssura (the writing), are used by Toraja people to express social and religious concepts. In this example, the seaweed design conveys the wish that the family who resides in the house of this carving will lead a peaceful life and always stay connected to one another, just as seaweed appears to consist entirely of one long chain. Size: 20" W x 25.5" H (50.8 cm x 64.8 cm)
Provenance: private Houston, Texas, USA collection, acquired 2007; ex-James Barker collection, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
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#162899
Condition
Indentation to area at top. Light abrasions and nicks/chips with a few hairline surface fissures, all commensurate with age. Otherwise, very nice with liberal remains of pigments and earthen deposits throughout.