Specifications

• Height: 63,5 cm.
• Material: wood
• Position:
• Gender:
• Indigenous name: baba alang
• Price realised:

Provenance

Mark Johnson, Los Angeles; Thomas Jaffe, New York, promised gift for Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, ILE2012.30.160.

Publications

Ref.: Nooy-Palm, Hetty (1979) The Sa’dan Toraja, Volume I

Exhibitions

Additional information

Symbol of strength and fertility, the water buffalo is omnipresent in Toraja culture. In addition it is believed that the water buffalo carries the spirit of the deceased to the Afterworld. It is the most important sacrificial animal.

This example of a granary door has the buffalo carved in high-relief against a notched decoration of vegetal motifs; the buffalo’s horns are embellished with a continuous scroll pattern, an old probably Dong Son derived, motif, locally considered a leaf pattern.

Photo credits

Johan Vipper/ YUAG