Antique Art & Weaponry, September 30th, 2023
Lot 305:
A rare form of an Indonesian armor from the Toraja people, this kind of armor is made of materials found in nature. Older examples consist of fish scales and tree bark such as those found in the Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford. The larger fish scales are attached to the lower vest with split rattan fibers, the smaller ones with a fixed string made from plant fibers. The lower vest consists of interwoven layers of tree bark. Other examples in the Leiden Museum, Netherland made of tree bark or buffalo skin and cut in a similar manner to the Schmiedt Collection example and are attributed to the Toraja people of Sulawesi. These armored vests are part of the traditional warrior’s regalia of the Toraja of upland Sulawesi. The vest consists of a rattan and plant fiber backing to which armored plates are sewn. At one level these costumes provided warriors with actual armor. At another, the ensemble afforded the warrior a number of magical amulets for repelling the mystical threats of enemy warriors and magicians: the helmet that is worn with such vests is topped with buffalo horns, symbolizing luck and success, and the panels on the armor have magical protective qualities. For some time, the primary use of armored vests in the Tana Toraja has been ritual or ceremonial. Warrior dances are a key part of ceremonial water buffalo and pig exchange and of the elaborate funeral rituals of the Toraja. Relationships between families were expressed through blood, marriage, and shared ancestral houses, and sealed by the exchange of water buffalo and pigs on ritual occasions. Such exchanges not only build political and cultural ties between families but help define each person’s place in a social hierarchy: who pours palm wine, who wraps a corpse and prepares offerings (perhaps the most important Torajan ritual acts), where each person can or cannot sit, what dishes should be used or avoided, and even what piece of meat constitutes one’s share in a communal feast. This example in the Schmiedt Collection is in fine condition with well-toned bark or leather scales. The vest open in the front and with two shoulder straps. The scales appear to be secured on a rattan backing. First half of 20th century, not a common example. Comparable auction sale:https://sothebyshome.com/antique-bone-armor-of-the-indonesian-toraja-warrio rs-acc-36177-24219.htmlReferences:1. Van Zonneveld, A.G. (2001) Traditional Weapons of the Indonesian Archipelago. Leiden: Art Books.~~. Detailed condition reports are not included in this catalog. For additional information, including condition reports, please contact us at [email protected]
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