GUIDING LIGHTS

This beautiful ensemble includes a traditional Topeng mask and a set of 2 wooden figures from the island of Sumba in Indonesia, all carved by hand by local artisans. Each piece comes complete with the blackened metal support.

The wooden mask features some of the islands heritage carving motifs. Topeng means mask in Indonesian. People in Indonesia have been using masks since ancient times,
for harvest festivals, fertility rites, soul catching, death ceremonies and spiritual dances, initiation rites and exorcism rituals. They are believed to scare off evil spirits and sickness as well as protecting from natural disasters like drought and floods.

The tall wood figures are carved with human forms in honor of the Marapu (ancestral spirits). Marapu is the animistic/ancestral religion practiced in Sumba, and its spirits are believed to be the occupants of the eternal sky, living as a couple and leading an existence similar to men. One of these pairs is believed to be the ancestors of the people of Sumba.

The suite comes with the stories of the artefacts printed out for you inside a beautiful envelope. Being artisan crafted with organic materials, each piece is slightly different containing beautiful, natural imperfections and visible cracks in the wood. 

DIMENSIONS INCLUDING THE BLACKENED METAL SUPPORTS:

• The wood mask: ca 54 x 41 x 12cm
• The set of 2 wooden figures: 89 x 9 x 9cm