Sa'dan Toraja. Sulawesi Island, Indonesia.
Wood, shell, cloth. H: 27" (68.6 cm), W: 9" (22.9 cm), D: 11.5" (29.1 cm).

Effigy of a child. Tau-tau are traditionally made only for the deceased members of the nobility.
A figure representing a child is much less common, making it particularly rare and poignant.

The artistry of a tau-tau is concentrated in the head, hands and feet. The body is often just a wooden block, as
the figure is dressed hiding those features. Traditionally, the face is carved in a stylized likeness of the deceased,
but in modern times faces are carved with natural features. These details signify the person’s identity and status.
It is unusual to find the figure dressed in its original clothing, which often deteriorates in the tropical sun.

The deceased are placed in caves or carved niches in sheer limestone cliff faces. The tau-tau figures stand or sit in
a gallery overlooking the valley, symbolically watching over the living community. They are not idols of worship,
but effigies of remembrance, representing complex beliefs about death, ancestry, and social status.

Ex: Jack Sadovnic collection, Caracas, New York, Bali, Brussels, Miami, Los Angeles.

Click on each individual image for larger image.

For price or additional information, please email your request, with inventory number and title description, to: majtribal@gmail.com.