Door with lizard motif "ilik"
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Lot: 114
94th Tribal Art AuctionDoor with lizard motif "ilik"
Indonesia - Sumatra, Toba - Batak
| Provenance | Size | Starting price / estimated price |
|---|---|---|
| Alex Arthur, Brussels, Belgium (1995) | M: 35.2 inch x 14.6 inch | This object is not available anymore. |
wood, insect caused damage
Door from the facade of a Toba "sopo". The upper section of this type of building served as a granary for the family rice, while the lower part was used as the men's meeting ground and as a dormitory for male bachelors.
The lizard motive "ilik" was supposed to cause that the deity "Boraspati ni Tano" granted the harvest in the attic its benevolent protection.
By 1980, old doors decorated with this motif had almost completely disappeared.
Barbier, Jean Paul & Douglas Newton (ed.), Islands and Ancestors, Munich 1988, p. 220, Plate 14
