1999.3 Wall panel with figure of a slain shaman (tulangan sirimanua)

This wall panel depicts a nearly life-size standing male figure with enormous splayed hands. His body is decorated with tattoos that indicate he lived in northern Siberut, the region where the Taileleu people traditionally went headhunting. The single shell inlay that survives in his right eye gives him a piercing gaze. He was a kerei, or shaman, as indicated by the painted feather decoration above his head. Kerei were believed to be able to see and communicate with souls, ancestors, and spirits.

A successful headhunt was celebrated by festivities in a clan’s longhouse (uma) and by the carving of an image of the slain victim. The panel was set into the rear wall of the interior room, facing the entrance, where visitors would see the memorial figure as proof of the courage and strength of the inhabitants.

Roslyn Adele Walker, Label text, 2013.

1999: Dallas Museum of Art, purchased from Steven G. Alpert, Dallas, Texas

Notes:

The main source for this provenance is the copy of the document "Statement" dated November 23, 1998, in the Collections Records object file (1999.3).

Apply to objects where number equals 1999.3