Material: Cotton, mica
Style: Lampung, South Sumatra, Indonesia
Size: Length 103 cm, Width 70 cm
Order Number: T98

South Sumatra has one of the most splendid and diverse textile traditions in Indonesia. The Paminggir people, who date back to the early 15th century,  were strictly hierarchical. Status was displayed by ownership and use of certain textiles. They practised ancestor worship.

Tapis are long, tubular skirts worn by Paminggir women on special occasions, especially weddings. They show the wearer’s status and wealth.

The tapis is a large rectangle made of two or more panels sewn together into a tube and elaborately embroidered. There are horizontal stripes. The embroidery of its major design features distinguishes it from women’s sarongs elsewhere in Indonesia. Sequins, mica or small mirrors and metallic threads further decorate the piece.

According to Claire and Steven Wilbur in Southeast Asian Textiles (page 157) they are no longer produced, and are rare and valuable.

Southeast Asian Textiles, Claire & Steve Wilbur, Shiffer Publishing, 2003.

19th – early 20th century.

Map of Sumatra.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

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Material: Copper, brass
Style: Chinese
Size: Height 21 cm, Width 18 cm, Diameter 10 cm
Order Number: MHSACT1

I got this in Sumatra. It probably belonged to a prosperous Chinese family.

The lid is a lotus bud with a band of lotus petals draping down from the top. The body, neck and gooseneck spout are all engraved. A naga appears to be disgorging the spout. The naga is the protector of springs, wells and rivers, hence bringing rain, and thus fertility.

On the side of the body are the mystical qilin. Qilin is pronounced ‘cheelin’. The qilin is sometimes called a unicorn in Chinese literature. It has a dragon’s head with one to three fleshy horns tipped with hair, a scaly body shaped like a deer, horse’s hooves, and a lion’s mane and tail. Qilin ate grass, never meat, moved regally and had a musical voice.

Qilin are one of the Four Mythical Creatures, along with the dragon, tortoise and phoenix, which together bring order to the universe. Qilin rule the west, facilitate autumn, time of maturity and fulfillment. Dragons reign over the east, influence spring by determining rainfall levels, The tortoise controls the north, initiates harsh winters and is a symbol of longevity, The phoenix controls the south and summer, represents happiness and warmth and appears only during times of peace.

19th – early 20th century.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

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Material: Rattan, wood
Style:  Sumatra, Indonesia
Size: Height 45 cm,  72 cm (top of strap), Diameter 36 cm
Order Number: MHSASB34

Rattan is a tropical climbing palm, using long thorns to climb up other jungle plants, and reaching lengths of over 150 metres (490 feet) but only a few centimetres thick. It is probably the most popular basket making material. It is very strong.

The basket is for carrying food.

About 40-50 years.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

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Material: Gold, silver,  gold and copper alloy called suasa
Style: Gayo Alas, Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia
Size: Length 7 cm
Order Number: MHGAGAKW1

Silver was imported from China in the form of ingots. It was also melted down from trade dollar coins and antique silver. There was no set standard, usually being about 80% to 90% purity. Silversmiths employed by royalty or a patron were anonymous and did not sign their work. Their training took a long time.

It was usual for men to carry a large kerchief over their shoulders that was folded into a bag. The kerchief was weighed down with large beads. The long bead was called boh pinang muda. The round facetted bead was called boh entoee.

19th century or earlier.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Gayo Alas Kerchief Weights 1 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Gold, silver,  gold and copper alloy called suasa
Style: Gayo Alas, Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia
Size: Diameter 3 cm
Order Number: MHSAGAKW2

Silver was imported from China in the form of ingots. It was also melted down from trade dollar coins and antique silver. There was no set standard, usually being about 80% to 90% purity. Silversmiths employed by royalty or a patron were anonymous and did not sign their work. Their training took a long time.

It was usual for men to carry a large kerchief over their shoulders that was folded into a bag. The kerchief was weighed down with large beads. The long bead was called boh pinang muda. The round facetted bead was called boh entoee.

19th century or earlier.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Gayo Alas Kerchief Weights 2 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Wood, gold leaf
Style: Minangkabau, West Sumatra, Indonesia
Size: Diameter 18 cm
Order Number: MHSAME5

When the Minangkabau converted to Islam,  they kept their traditional law and matrilineal social organisation. They remain strongly Moslem and have blended the two systems. Property and inheritance follows the female line, but maintenance of adat, the traditional law, smooth running of society and settlement of disputes is the responsibility of senior men. Many events call for ceremonies.

In early days wooden headdresses (saluak datu batimbo kayu) were intricately carved, hollow and lightweight in imitation of folded cloth headdresses and then decorated with gold leaf. This one has clearly been used and has a crack. They have not been worn for many years and are mostly in private collections and museums.

There is a similar one in Gold Jewelry of the Indonesian Archipelago, Anne Richter and Bruce Carpenter, Editions Didier Millet 2011, page 281.

About 70-80 years.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Minangkabau Headdress appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Gold-plated
Style: Minangkabau, West Sumatra, Indonesia
Size: Height 50 cm, Width 42 cm
Order Number: MHSAMSBC1

When the Minangkabau converted to Islam,  they kept their traditional law and matrilineal social organisation. They remain strongly Moslem and have blended the two systems. Property and inheritance follows the female line, but maintenance of adat, the traditional law, smooth running of society and settlement of disputes is the responsibility of senior men. Many events call for ceremonies.

Minangkabau Bride and Groom.

The most elaborate head ornament is the suntiang worn by a bride at her wedding. If a woman does not have a large head of hair, a bun made of hair or finely cut pandanus leaves is attached to her hair to  support it. The most complex ones consist of a golden semicircle to which many gold or gilded ornaments are attached. Sprays of small real or cloth flowers are added.

Arranging this many-pieced crown takes well over an hour and is an art in itself. It weighs many pounds and the bride has to wear it for hours during the wedding ceremony and reception. Maybe this is the reason Minangkabau brides never smile!

Map of Minangkabau.

Mid 20th century.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Minangkabau Suntiang Bridal Crown 1 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Gold-plated
Style: Minangkabau, West Sumatra, Indonesia
Size: Height 42 cm, Width 35 cm
Order Number: MHSAMSBC2

When the Minangkabau converted to Islam,  they kept their traditional law and matrilineal social organisation. They remain strongly Moslem and have blended the two systems. Property and inheritance follows the female line, but maintenance of adat, the traditional law, smooth running of society and settlement of disputes is the responsibility of senior men. Many events call for ceremonies.

Minangkabau Bride and Groom.

The most elaborate head ornament is the suntiang worn by a bride at her wedding. If a woman does not have a large head of hair, a bun made of hair or finely cut pandanus leaves is attached to her hair to  support it. The most complex ones consist of a golden semicircle to which many gold or gilded ornaments are attached. Sprays of small real or cloth flowers are added.

Arranging this many-pieced crown takes well over an hour and is an art in itself. It weighs many pounds and the bride has to wear it for hours during the wedding ceremony and reception. Maybe this is the reason Minangkabau brides never smile!

Map of Minangkabau.

Mid 20th century.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Minangkabau Suntiang Bridal Crown 2 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Gold-plated
Style: Minangkabau, West Sumatra, Indonesia
Size: Height 48 cm, Width 35 cm
Order Number: MHSAMSBC3

When the Minangkabau converted to Islam,  they kept their traditional law and matrilineal social organisation. They remain strongly Moslem and have blended the two systems. Property and inheritance follows the female line, but maintenance of adat, the traditional law, smooth running of society and settlement of disputes is the responsibility of senior men. Many events call for ceremonies.

Minangkabau Bride and Groom.

The most elaborate head ornament is the suntiang worn by a bride at her wedding. If a woman does not have a large head of hair, a bun made of hair or finely cut pandanus leaves is attached to her hair to  support it. The most complex ones consist of a golden semicircle to which many gold or gilded ornaments are attached. Sprays of small real or cloth flowers are added.

Arranging this many-pieced crown takes well over an hour and is an art in itself. It weighs many pounds and the bride has to wear it for hours during the wedding ceremony and reception. Maybe this is the reason Minangkabau brides never smile!

Map of Minangkabau.

Mid 20th century.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Minangkabau Suntiang Bridal Crown 3 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Gold foil, velvet, cotton
Style: Solok, Minangkabau, West Sumatra, Indonesia
Size: Length 61 cm, Width 23 cm
Order Number: MHSAME4

When the Minangkabau converted to Islam,  they kept their traditional law and matrilineal social organisation. They remain strongly Moslem and have blended the two systems. Property and inheritance follows the female line, but maintenance of adat, the traditional law, smooth running of society and settlement of disputes is the responsibility of senior men. Many events call for ceremonies.

Solok (meaningvalley) is a city in West Sumatra, Indonesia.

Embellished Minangkabau Velvet Collar: Long collars with foil images of jewelry stitched or glued on to velvet were worn by women in the southern area of Solok. The gold foil includes imitation gold coins, ear and pectoral ornaments and the back section of the distinctive Solok bridal crown.

There is a similar one in Gold Jewelry of the Indonesian Archipelago, Anne Richter and Bruce Carpenter, Editions Didier Millet 2011, page 293.

19th century or early 20th century.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Minangkabau Velvet Collar appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Wood
Style: Nias, North Sumatra, Indonesia
Size: Height 65 cm, Width 20 cm
Order Number: MHSANAF2

80-90 years.

Nias is an island located off the western coast of North Sumatra, Indonesia. Until the arrival of the Dutch Nias had one of the most vibrant warrior cultures of the Indonesian archipelago and their wooden ancestor figures have a distinctive style. Spirits of the dead possessed supernatural powers, which could influence the living in good or bad ways.

Ancestor images called adu zatua were made shortly after death. When the carving was finished, the deceased’s spirit was invited to dwell in the statue with ceremonies performed by a priest, who told the eldest son that his parent had returned to the house. The figure was collectively owned by all the descendants, but it was the duty of the son to make sure that all the ritual food offerings were given. The statues were usually tied to the right hand wall of the main room in the house and as people died new figures were added.

Females had a pair of earrings and males had one.

Most are nude with genitals, so that the gender is obvious, except for some in Central Nias, which are hermaphrodite and are usually standing. Those in North and South are more naturalistic, while those in Central Nias are angular. The aristocratic ones have tall crowns, pendant earrings, necklaces and bracelets. They were passed down from generation to generation.

They vary in size from 20 cm to 200 cm or higher and many were crammed into houses on the floor and on altars, hung from roof beams and placed on beams. Many were believed to hold the souls of the ancestors. Their purpose was to give fertility to humans and animals, provide protection and avert illness. The grander ones were for aristocratic families. They were given offerings and sacrifices, especially before headhunting or warrior raids.

Christian missionaries destroyed many ancestor figures in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

This statue is a nobleman wearing a crown – it’s a distinctive style from South Nias that he sits on a stool of honour and holds a libation bowl in both hands on his knees. His fine moustache and goatee denote respect – rare attributes in this ethnic group. Facial hair was prized as a symbol of masculinity. His arching eyebrows emphasise his almond eyes. He is nude apart from jewelry, a massive teardrop earring, necklace and bracelet.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Nias Ancestor Figure 1 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Wood
Style: Central Nias, North Sumatra, Indonesia
Size: Height 80 cm, Width 15 cm
Order Number: MHSANAF3

80-90 years.

Nias is an island located off the western coast of North Sumatra, Indonesia. Until the arrival of the Dutch Nias had one of the most vibrant warrior cultures of the Indonesian archipelago and their wooden ancestor figures have a distinctive style.

Most are nude with genitals, so that the gender is obvious, except for some in Central Nias, which are hermaphrodite and are usually standing. Those in North and South are more naturalistic, while those in Central Nias are angular. The aristocratic ones have tall crowns, pendant earrings, necklaces and bracelets. They were passed down from generation to generation.

They vary in size from 20 cm to 200 cm or higher and many were crammed into houses on the floor and on altars, hung from roof beams and placed on beams. Many were believed to hold the souls of the ancestors. Their purpose was to give fertility to humans and animals, provide protection and avert illness. The grander ones were for aristocratic families. They were given offerings and sacrifices, especially before headhunting or warrior raids.

Christian missionaries destroyed many ancestor figures in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The most distinctive god statues are called adu horo. They have forked headdresses and are armless with large erect penises. They were consulted when blood had to be shed, as in war, murder and hunting.

He is standing. His arching eyebrows emphasise his eyes. He has pursed lips, beard, pectorals, cone-like nipples and knobly knees. He is nude apart from jewelry, a massive earring on his right ear and a coconut shell necklace called a kalabubu worn by headhunters. Capturing a head was an essential requirement of manhood and showed the young man was an eligible bachelor.

There is a kalabubu in the Mandala Collection,  shown in Nias Sculpture, Achim Sibeth and Bruce Carpenter, Red and White Publishing, 2013 on page 254

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Nias Ancestor Figure 2 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Wood
Style: South Nias, North Sumatra, Indonesia
Size: Left – male – Height 115 cm, Width 28 cm, Diameter 35 cm;  Right – female – Height 115 cm, Width 29 cm, Diameter 27 cm
Order Number: MHSANAF1

Click on the photo to see the ancestor figures.

40-50 years.

Nias is an island located off the western coast of North Sumatra, Indonesia. Until the arrival of the Dutch Nias had one of the most vibrant warrior cultures of the Indonesian archipelago and their wooden ancestor figures have a distinctive style. Spirits of the dead possessed supernatural powers, which could influence the living in good or bad ways.

Ancestor images called adu zatua were made shortly after death. When the carving was finished, the deceased’s spirit was invited to dwell in the statue with ceremonies performed by a priest, who told the eldest son that his parent had returned to the house. The figure was collectively owned by all the descendants, but it was the duty of the son to make sure that all the ritual food offerings were given. The statues were usually tied to the right hand wall of the main room in the house and as people died new figures were added.

Most are nude with genitals, so that the gender is obvious, except for some in Central Nias, which are hermaphrodite and are usually standing. Those in North and South are more naturalistic, while those in Central Nias are angular. The aristocratic ones have tall crowns, pendant earrings, necklaces and bracelets. They were passed down from generation to generation.

They vary in size from 20 cm to 200 cm or higher and many were crammed into houses on the floor and on altars, hung from roof beams and placed on beams. Many were believed to hold the souls of the ancestors. Their purpose was to give fertility to humans and animals, provide protection and avert illness. The grander ones were for aristocratic families. They were given offerings and sacrifices, especially before headhunting or warrior raids.

Christian missionaries destroyed many ancestor figures in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

This pair are from South Nias – it’s a distinctive style that they squat or sit on a stool of honour and hold a cup on their knees. The stool is not articulated in these pieces but merely suggested by a low post that supports the figure at the back.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Nias Ancestor Figures appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Wood
Style: Nias, North Sumatra, Indonesia.
Size: Height 12 cm, Diameter 14 cm
Order Number: MHSBB8

70-80 years.

Nias is an island located off the western coast of North Sumatra, Indonesia. Until the arrival of the Dutch Nias had one of the most vibrant warrior cultures of the Indonesian archipelago.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Nias Box 1 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Wood
Style: Nias, North Sumatra, Indonesia.
Size: Height 15 cm, Diameter 10 cm
Order Number: MHSBB9

Nias is an island located off the western coast of North Sumatra, Indonesia. Until the arrival of the Dutch Nias had one of the most vibrant warrior cultures of the Indonesian archipelago.

70-80 years.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Nias Box 2 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Limestone
Style: Central Nias, North Sumatra, Indonesia
Size: Height 38 cm, Length 68 cm, Width 32 cm
Order Number: MHSANLOO2

80-90 years.

Nias is an island located off the western coast of North Sumatra, Indonesia. Until the arrival of the Dutch Nias had one of the most vibrant warrior cultures of the Indonesian archipelago and their stonecarvings have a distinctive style.

The villages were orderly and densely populated and surrounded by stone walls. Wide, steep stairs lead to avenues with large wooden houses and tables, chairs, monuments, sculptures,  watercourses, public baths and wells.

A Stone Age cave shelter, the Togi Ndrawa cave, used for 3000 years was discovered by French archeologist Hubert Forestier in 2005 in Northwest Nias dating to 2500 – 1500 AD, containing human bones and Neolithic tools.

The missionaries of the late 19th and early 20th century spared stonecarvings from destruction, unlike woodcarvings, as offerings were not made to them.

Nias had a highly stratified society and a continual series of elaborate feasts when megaliths were erected, live human sacrifices were staged and offerings of heads.

North and Central Nias produced most of the free-standing stone statues. Central Nias provided the oldest and most mysterious figures. It was a patriarchal society and most statues are male.

Ritual seats called osa-osa were found only in Central Nias. Elders sat on them during ceremonies. They can be round or rectangular and in the form of real or mythological animals.

Hornbills, with their curved heads and beaks, and stags are both associated with ancestors. Nias is the home of the Giant Hornbill. They were worshipped as magical creatures.

Small ones were placed on large ancestral pillars called behu during ceremonies to honour the founding ancestors of the village.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Nias Hornbill Osa-Osa appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Limestone
Style: Central Nias, North Sumatra, Indonesia
Size: Height 36 cm, Length 62 cm, Width 34 cm
Order Number: MHSANLOO1

80-90 years.

Nias is an island located off the western coast of North Sumatra, Indonesia. Until the arrival of the Dutch Nias had one of the most vibrant warrior cultures of the Indonesian archipelago and their stonecarvings have a distinctive style.

The villages were orderly and densely populated and surrounded by stone walls. Wide, steep stairs lead to avenues with large wooden houses and tables, chairs, monuments, sculptures,  watercourses, public baths and wells.

A Stone Age cave shelter, the Togi Ndrawa cave, used for 3000 years was discovered by French archeologist Hubert Forestier in 2005 in Northwest Nias dating to 2500 – 1500 AD, containing human bones and Neolithic tools.

The missionaries of the late 19th and early 20th century spared stonecarvings from destruction, unlike woodcarvings, as offerings were not made to them.

Nias had a highly stratified society and a continual series of elaborate feasts when megaliths were erected, live human sacrifices were staged and offerings of heads.

North and Central Nias produced most of the free-standing stone statues. Central Nias provided the oldest and most mysterious figures. It was a patriarchal society and most statues are male.

Ritual seats called osa-osa were found only in Central Nias. Elders sat on them during ceremonies. They can be round or rectangular and in the form of real or mythological animals.

This one is called osa osa si sara mbagi, meaning a seat with only one head. It is carved in the form of a lasara –  a creature with a dragon-like head and bird-like tail. It is related to the mythic naga serpent and associated with the underworld, fertility and water. They have a protective function and enhance the power of the nobility on Nias.

Osa-osa are extremely well carved and are used by noble men and women or are made for an ancestor. They are only used once during a ceremony for their consecration. They are seats of honour for the nobility during festivals raised to a higher position and are classified according to the number of heads. One headed pieces are to commemorate men who have given a feast. Three headed ones are usually for clan elders. The seats form part of large megalithic plazas that are ritual centres in Central Nias villages.

There are also hornbills and stags, both associated with ancestors.

Small ones were placed on large ancestral pillars called behu during ceremonies to honour the founding ancestors of the village.

There is a similar one in The Asian Civilisations Museum Guide, 2003, page 236.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Nias Lasara Osa-Osa appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Limestone
Style: Central Nias, North Sumatra, Indonesia
Size: Height 49 cm, Length 36 cm, Width 13 cm
Order Number: MHSANLOO3

80-90 years.

Nias is an island located off the western coast of North Sumatra, Indonesia. Until the arrival of the Dutch Nias had one of the most vibrant warrior cultures of the Indonesian archipelago and their stonecarvings have a distinctive style.

The villages were orderly and densely populated and surrounded by stone walls. Wide, steep stairs lead to avenues with large wooden houses and tables, chairs, monuments, sculptures,  watercourses, public baths and wells.

A Stone Age cave shelter, the Togi Ndrawa cave, used for 3000 years was discovered by French archeologist Hubert Forestier in 2005 in Northwest Nias dating to 2500 – 1500 AD, containing human bones and Neolithic tools.

The missionaries of the late 19th and early 20th century spared stonecarvings from destruction, unlike woodcarvings, as offerings were not made to them.

Nias had a highly stratified society and a continual series of elaborate feasts when megaliths were erected, live human sacrifices were staged and offerings of heads.

North and Central Nias produced most of the free-standing stone statues. Central Nias provided the oldest and most mysterious figures. It was a patriarchal society and most statues are male.

This statue is rather rare. It may be a Dutchman on a horse.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Nias Man on a Horse appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Bronze
Style: Nias, North Sumatra, Indonesia
Size: Length 12 cm, Width 7 cm
Order Number: MHSANOL1

Nias is an island located off the western coast of North Sumatra, Indonesia. Until the arrival of the Dutch Nias had one of the most vibrant warrior cultures of the Indonesian archipelago.

19th century or earlier.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Nias Oil Lamp appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Rattan
Style: Sumatra, Indonesia
Size: Height 41 cm, to top of handle 53 cm, Diameter 40 cm
Order Number: MHSASB1

About 70-80 years.

Please ask the price (or make an offer).

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