A WOODEN SCULPTURE OF GUARDIAN FIGURE "JENE"

Description:

Sermata, Moluccas, Indonesia East, Alfuren, late 19th century (possibly early 20th century)
H. 100,4 cm
This rare sculpture from Sermata depicts a guardian figure that watches over the village and is placed at the village boundaries. The figure crouches in a relaxed posture with its arms crossed at the knees. It wears the ear jewellery of the nobility and leans against a plank-like extension of the plinth, which gives the impression of a chair or throne. The figure has a majestic aura. It probably represents a high ancestor who has attained god-like status. It is made of very heavy, hard wood that can last for generations. On the head you can easily recognise the rooster motif, the "rooster that never loses" (ciwi resresi). Cockfighting is known throughout the Malay-influenced Indonesian archipelago and has not only entertaining but also symbolic and ritual significance.
Collected from an old German private collection since the 1950s
The South Moluks have a very rich carving tradition, which is primarily based on ancestor worship. The ancestor figures of Leti are probably the best known today due to their elegance and high recognition value. The Sermata archipelago, located to the east of Leti, has a long tradition of producing deified ancestors, which are typically depicted on pedestals with high backrests (such as this example). These are village founders, house founders, tribal fathers and other ancestors who have become fathers and are permanently remembered. The seats of the goddess figures are usually decorated with geometric motifs - as is the case here. It is quite possible that early Hindu-Indian influences played a role in the emergence of this art form of goddess figures sitting on pedestals. Since the late 1st century, Indian culture has played a major role in the South East Asian archipelago in various ways.