Tau-Tau statue

Tau-Tau statue

It features a standing ancestor dressed in a large sarong, his arms outstretched, his face sporting a beautiful, intense and timeless expression. Wood, old patina and wear marks, cotton, shell and bone Toraja, South Sulawesi. 144 x 30 cm The Toraja live in the mountains of South Sulawesi, Indonesia. They honor their ancestors by carving a statue, like this one, in sandalwood, Randu, or Jacquier wood. Tau Tau are considered sanctuary guardians and protectors of life. The Torajas believe that the spirit of the ancestors invests the Tau-Tau and continues to live within it, thus maintaining the link between them and the living. They were produced only for the wealthy, to reflect the status and wealth of an important ancestor.