Ancestor Figure (Iene)
early 20th century
Maker Unknown
Arts of the Pacific Islands
To honor deceased family members, villagers kept carved wooden figures to contain the souls of their ancestors in the family house. This seated figure (iene) from Leti has elongated limbs drawn close to the body and rests on a pedestal. The extension from the forehead may indicate the rank of the deceased.
- Maker/Artist
- Maker Unknown
- Classification
- Sculpture
- Formatted Medium
- Wood, pigment
- Locations
- Place made: Molucca Islands, Leti Archipelago, Maluku Province, Indonesia
- Dimensions
- 22 7/8 x 4 7/8 x 5 in. (58.1 x 12.4 x 12.7 cm)
- Departments
- Arts of the Pacific Islands
- Accession Number
- 42.338
- Credit Line
- Charles Stewart Smith Memorial Fund
- Rights Statement
- Creative Commons-BY
- Museum Location
- This item is not on view
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