ART OF THE ANCESTORS: NIAS BATAK DAYAK

Indonesiantribalartisamongthemostintriguingandvariedintheworld.Thereareasmanystylesandexpressionsasthereareethnicandculturalgroups.Eachofthesegroupsproducesuniqueobjectsofgreatinterestandbeautythatareusedinritualsandceremoniesthathavebeenperformedformillennia.ThisbookpresentstwocollectionsofsculpturesfromthreeofthemostvibrantarttraditionsoftheIndonesianarchipelago.ThepeopleofNias,theBatakofSumatraandtheDayakofBorneohavebeenthoroughlystudiedformorethanacenturybyexplorersandanthropologistswhohaveallcommentedontheaestheticallydistinctiveancestorfiguresthatplayanintegralpartintriballife.Here,someofthefinestsurvivingexampleshavebeenbroughttogethertoshowcasetheartisticvirtuesofthesepeoples.Fouressaysprovideabriefintroductiontothecultureswhoseartisrepresentedanddiscusstheiruseandmeaninginritualandeverydaylife.