Tanimbar Islands, Southeast Moluccas, Indonesia
19th century
Wood
Height 17 1/2" (44.5 cm)
Provenance: Jef Van der Straete, Lasne / Brussels; Sotheby's New York, May 15, 1991, lot 9; Stanley Lederman, New York
The Tanimbar Islands, located in the Southeast Moluccas of eastern Indonesia, produced a distinctive tradition of ancestral sculpture in which carved wooden figures were connected to lineage identity, household protection, and the ritual life of the community. Ancestral figures of this type were maintained within family contexts as focal points of devotion and were understood as continuing presences rather than purely commemorative objects. The compact form and animated stance of this figure are characteristic of Moluccan sculptural production, with a surface patina consistent with age and sustained handling.
The figure is carved from wood with careful attention to the facial structure and body proportions, reflecting the formal conventions of Tanimbar ancestral carving within the broader Southeast Moluccan tradition. The developed surface patina across the figure is consistent with the documented 19th century date and the object's collecting history across three documented holdings. The scale of the figure, at 17 1/2 inches, is consistent with household ancestral objects maintained in domestic shrine settings rather than larger ceremonial contexts.
The provenance connects this figure to Jef Van der Straete of Brussels, one of the recognized European collectors of Indonesian and Oceanic material in the latter 20th century, followed by a documented appearance at Sotheby's New York in May 1991 and subsequent acquisition by Stanley Lederman of New York. The Sotheby's sale record provides an independent auction reference that establishes both the object's market history and its collecting context within the specialist trade. The combination of European collection origin, documented auction history, and New York private collection provenance gives this figure a well supported ownership record spanning over three decades.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Tanimbar Islands, Southeast Moluccas, Indonesia
19th century
Wood
Height 17 1/2" (44.5 cm)
Provenance: Jef Van der Straete, Lasne / Brussels; Sotheby's New York, May 15, 1991, lot 9; Stanley Lederman, New York
The Tanimbar Islands, located in the Southeast Moluccas of eastern Indonesia, produced a distinctive tradition of ancestral sculpture in which carved wooden figures were connected to lineage identity, household protection, and the ritual life of the community. Ancestral figures of this type were maintained within family contexts as focal points of devotion and were understood as continuing presences rather than purely commemorative objects. The compact form and animated stance of this figure are characteristic of Moluccan sculptural production, with a surface patina consistent with age and sustained handling.
The figure is carved from wood with careful attention to the facial structure and body proportions, reflecting the formal conventions of Tanimbar ancestral carving within the broader Southeast Moluccan tradition. The developed surface patina across the figure is consistent with the documented 19th century date and the object's collecting history across three documented holdings. The scale of the figure, at 17 1/2 inches, is consistent with household ancestral objects maintained in domestic shrine settings rather than larger ceremonial contexts.
The provenance connects this figure to Jef Van der Straete of Brussels, one of the recognized European collectors of Indonesian and Oceanic material in the latter 20th century, followed by a documented appearance at Sotheby's New York in May 1991 and subsequent acquisition by Stanley Lederman of New York. The Sotheby's sale record provides an independent auction reference that establishes both the object's market history and its collecting context within the specialist trade. The combination of European collection origin, documented auction history, and New York private collection provenance gives this figure a well supported ownership record spanning over three decades.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
