Atoni Ancestor Mask In Fossil Coral, East Timor, Indonesia

CIVILIZATIONS

Ethnic Art / Ancestor Worship
Eastern Timor Island / Indonesia

These Atoni Ancestor masks are traditionally carved from blocks of fossilized coral. The facial features are reduced to their most minimalist expression, notably using the original texture of the raw material. The material is simply used rather than worked, as an ode to what Nature can offer us: two holes for the eyes, an irregular protrusion for the nose, a wide horizontally elongated and hollowed-out mouth,...

The Atoni are known for their ancestor worship. "These fossilized masks were placed on the face of the deceased during funeral ceremonies.
The Atoni, who are not fishermen, live inland in houses that were formerly circular. This culture is known for its spatial symbolism, ancestor worship, and veneration of sacred mountains. In Timor, each cardinal direction is associated with a gender. An important god worshiped by this culture is called "female male," and although he is a man, he occupies feminine roles. The Atoni have two chiefs: a mystical one responsible for ritual and domestic order with a feminine image, and a male secular chief responsible for spatial organization and politics. The headhunters wear earrings symbolizing women's vulvas, and women wear warrior attire after childbirth to rebalance cosmic energies. The Atoni speak a language that may vary from one valley to another and did not have access to a translated Bible until the year 2000."

Exhibition at the Montélimar Museum June 7 - September 7, 2014 'Masks between Miniature and Excess,' published in the exhibition catalog, page 21

Dimensions:
28 cm height
* 21.5 cm width
* 14.5 cm depth

Very good condition