Lasara head
Limestone
19th - 20th c.
H 55 × L 48 × W 23 cm
Note: The island of Nias, southwest of Sumatra, is
renowned for its rich megalithic tradition. Its
inhabitants worked a pale limestone. Typical of the
Nias people, the osa osa seat, carved from a single
block of stone, was erected in memory of a mythical
ancestor, an influential chief - living or deceased -, a
prominent member of the aristocracy, male or
female, or to commemorate an exceptional event. At
the front rose the head of a composite, horned
mythical creature known as the Lasara, which
dominated the seat. These Lasara figures also
adorned the hilts of chiefs' swords. The creature
wears a close-fitting collar called Kalabubu, once
reserved for the most valiant warriors and
headhunters.
Provenance: Davide Manfredi
