Sumba Seated Male Ancestor Figure (20cm/8 inches)

Sumba Seated Male Ancestor Figure (20cm/8 inches)

A seated male ancestor or guardian figure from the island of Sumba, Indonesia. He has a wonderfully stylized face and sits looking straight ahead with both hands raised to his chest as though he were holding something.  Indeed, it is quite likely that the figure would have originally held something…a token of the individual it portrays perhaps.  A narrow slot has been carved into his right shoulder, the purpose of which is unknown.  There are a few fine old and stable cracks, but otherwise this standing figure is in excellent condition.  Collected in Sumba in the late 1980s, it is carved in hardwood and has a lovely patina of age and use.