INDONESIA. Tau Tau Toraja ancestor figure in carved teak (several parts). Height 93 cm. Includes a book by Olivier LELIEVRE, "Toraja, sous le regard des ancêtres", Peuples du monde, Paris, 1996. Provenance: Former collection of Professor Mariono. Purchased in Sulawesi, Indonesia by the current owner, a diplomat in the 1980s. Note: The Toraja, an ethnic group from the mountains of South Sulawesi in Indonesia, honor their deceased by carving statues called tau-tau, made of sandalwood, randu or jackfruit, and representing the features of the deceased. These effigies, considered guardians of the grave and protectors of life, symbolize the link between the dead and the living. First introduced in the 19th century, tau-tau were initially reserved for wealthy families, reflecting the social status of the deceased. For the less well-off, they were made from bamboo and stripped after burial.