Sulawesi, Indonesia / Sa’dan Toraja
Mid to late 19th century
Dark dense hardwood with natural pigments and dark resin
Height 62 in / 157.5 cm
Provenance: Gary Spratt, San Francisco, acquired in the early 1970s; Dutch family collection
A Sa’dan Toraja tau tau figure from Sulawesi, carved in a realistic style associated with the mid to late 19th century. Tau tau figures functioned as ancestral effigies within Toraja funerary tradition, representing the deceased and maintaining a visible connection between family, lineage, and the ancestral realm. This example is carved from dark dense hardwood, with strong linear definition at the collarbone, knees, and limbs. The backs of the calves are painted with tattoo-like markings, likely using dark tree resin, adding a further layer of bodily and ceremonial detail.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
INQUIRE HERE
Sulawesi, Indonesia / Sa’dan Toraja
Mid to late 19th century
Dark dense hardwood with natural pigments and dark resin
Height 62 in / 157.5 cm
Provenance: Gary Spratt, San Francisco, acquired in the early 1970s; Dutch family collection
A Sa’dan Toraja tau tau figure from Sulawesi, carved in a realistic style associated with the mid to late 19th century. Tau tau figures functioned as ancestral effigies within Toraja funerary tradition, representing the deceased and maintaining a visible connection between family, lineage, and the ancestral realm. This example is carved from dark dense hardwood, with strong linear definition at the collarbone, knees, and limbs. The backs of the calves are painted with tattoo-like markings, likely using dark tree resin, adding a further layer of bodily and ceremonial detail.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
INQUIRE HERE
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