Specifications
- Height: – cm.
- Material: wood, bone
- Position: mainly squatting
- Gender:
- Indigenous name:
- Price realised:
Provenance
Herman de Vries, Steggerda 1930-1999
Publications
Wentholt, Arnold (2016), ‘Bladerend door de foto-albums van Herman de Vries’, in Jaarboek VVE 4
Ref.: Jonge, Nico de & Toos van Dijk (1995), Vergeten Eilanden, p. 99.
Exhibitions
Additional information
These 45 small ancestor amulets were acquired by Herman de Vries in the Moluccas in the late 1950s, 60ies and early seventies. These small statues were kept in bags which hung from the tavu. Only the owner could touch them, due to their heat, which could be lethal. For others they were considered dangerous. These small statues were kept in bags during hunting expeditions and fish hunts. The amulet represented a namesake or strong ancestor figure. Except for one, a double statue called wandrar, most of these amulets show a human figure in naturalistic to abstracted form. Some of conical bullet-shape.