Loading, please wait...
Details
LOT 2369
Indonesian Tau Tau Funerary Wooden Head
TORAJA PEOPLE, LATE 19TH CENTURY A.D.
13 3/4 in. (780 grams, 35 cm).
Funerary peg head with bald scalp, delicate facial features with grooves delineating the piercing eyes and shallow lips; below the neck a cylindrical protrusion to be slotted into the carving of its body, commemorating a deceased person. [No Reserve]
Provenance
From South Central Sulewesi, Indonesia.
Ex private Surrey, UK, ethnographic collection.
From the property of a late Lincolnshire, UK, gentleman.
VETTING:
TimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
AUCTIONS:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
RELATED LOTS
-
African Ashanti Bronze Snake Gold Weight
Akan Tribe, 19th-20th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £26
D-shaped in section with impressed segmentation to the back, raised head. 144 grams, 25 cm
From an old Oxford, UK, collection. From the property of a late Lincolnshire, UK, gentleman. -
African Wooden Ceremonial 'Maiden Spirit' Face Mask
Igbo Tribe, early 20th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £46
A mask with long narrow face, painted white; narrow protruding sharp nose; slit eyes; closed mouth; small ears, arching eyebrows, incised hair design and above this is an elaborate openwork construction in brown, yellow and white. 1.4 kg, 56 cm
From South-West Nigeria, West Africa. From an old Newbury, UK, ethnographic collection. From the property of a late Lincolnshire, UK, gentleman.
Agbogho mmwo, or "maiden spirit," masks are worn by men at festivals that honour important deities. They represent the Igbo ideal of female beauty: small, balanced features, elaborate hairstyles, and delicate tattoos. The men who dance in agbogho mmwo masks wear colourful, tight-fitting fibre costumes, entertaining the crowd with exaggerated versions of women's dances. -
African Wooden 'Akuaba Doll' Wedding Fertility Figure Pair
Ashanti Tribe, early-mid 20th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £26
Each with exaggerated discoid head, squat body with stub arms, standing on a conical base. 985 grams total, 36-36.5 cm
From Ghana, West Africa. Ex private Cheshire, UK, collection. From the property of a late Lincolnshire, UK, gentleman.
Among the Ashanti people in Ghana, women hoping for offspring carry these ‘Akuaba dolls’ in their clothes. Traditionally, these ‘Akuaba’ have a large, round, flat head that is reminiscent of its origin as a representation of the moon goddess, which is associated with fertility. Once the ‘Akuaba’ figure has fulfilled its purpose, the mother of the desired child places it on her domestic altar, where it is worshipped in a shrine, or she passes it on to the next generation.
