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Details
- Place where the work was made
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Bawomataluo village
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Teluk Dalam
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South Nias
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Indonesia
- Date
- late 19th century-early 20th century
- Media categories
- Ceremonial object , Arms & armour
- Materials used
- wood, iron brass, rattan, crocodile teeth and pigs’ tusks
- Dimensions
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72.0 x 18.0 x 15.0 cm
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a - sword, 65 x 8.5 x 5.8 cm
b - scabbard, 56 x 18 x 15 cm
- Credit
- Christopher Worrall Wilson Bequest 2010
- Location
- Not on display
- Accession number
- 526.2010.a-b
- Copyright
- Share
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About
The sword and scabbard (‘belato’) were among the most important items belonging to a warrior on Nias, serving as a physical weapon and a protective device against enemies and malevolent spiritual forces. Found throughout the island, ‘belato’ swords are distinguished by ornate hilts in the form of mythical creatures and their scabbards which incorporate a range of talismanic devices, including carved ‘adu’ figures.
The hilt depicts the head of a ‘lasara’, a composite protective beast reserved for royalty which combines the features of a hornbill, deer and crocodile. A small monkey astride the ‘lasara’s’ neck was believed to predict and warn of potential threats. These motifs, along with the rattan amulet basket (‘rago’) fashioned by the warrior and caged with animal teeth and tusks, would have offered powerful protection
to the user. -
Exhibition history
Shown in 1 exhibition
Glorious, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 27 May 2017–06 Jan 2019
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Bibliography
Referenced in 2 publications
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Niki van den Heuvel, Ancestral art of the Indonesian archipelago, Sydney, 2017, 63 (colour illus).
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Christopher Wilson, Southeast Asian Tribal Art, Nov 1986, Plate 20 (colour illus.) unpaginated..
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Provenance
Christopher Wilson, pre Nov 1986-1996, Sydney/New South Wales/Australia, purchased in Bawomataluo village, Nias, Indonesia. This object appears in 'Southeast Asian tribal art', an unpublished text by Christopher Wilson, College of Fine Arts, Sydney, November 1986.
Mariann Ford, 1996-Dec 2010, Sydney/New South Wales/Australia, inherited from the estate of Christopher Wilson. Gift to the Art Gallery of New South Wales as part of the Christopher Worrall Wilson Bequest 2010.