The people of Timor-Leste believe the world is inhabited by a multitude of good and evil spirits, who, if looked after well, will protect the living. Ancestor images formed important links between living and the dead. They were of two broad types: large figures Ai-Tos) depicting founding ancestors, seated atop tall pillars and smaller figures depicting deceased family members, which were kept at home. Ancestor figures were put in special places within the house or used to mark the graves of deceased relatives.
Timor TR008 name: ancestor-statue
signification: tribal sculpture for worshipping the ancestors
traditional Origin: Timorese people
place of origin: East-Timor, from a family house
approximate age: 1959
material: wood
size: 40cm x 31cm x 235cm
purchased by: Hubert Matysek, in Antambua /West-Timor-Expedition 1975
