Production
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when
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End of the 19th century
Figure on the right | Photographer: Axel Killian | Rights management: Städtische Museen Freiburg
Attribution - NonCommercial - ShareAlike 4.0 InternationalThis ancestor figure has been carved from wood with angular shoulders and slightly bent knees. The hands are resting on the belly. An earring hangs from the right earlobe and a lofty crown, which resembles a palm leaf, sits on its head. The veneration of ancestors is of central importance for the Niha, inhabitants of the island Nias to the west of Sumatra. The figures are placed in the house and sacrificed on the anniversary of the death of the ancestor in question.