Description:

A RARE ONO NIHA BATTLE SHIELD '' BALUSE''
Indonesia, West -, Nias (South-), 19th c. or ealy 20th c.
H. 133,5 cm
A rare, well-preserved battle shield from the island of Nias south of Sumatra. The oval, leaf-shaped and slightly curved shield is carved from a single piece of wood and reinforced with horizontally attached rattan bands. A raised ridge runs from the upper to the lower tip and leads into a shield boss in the centre. The handle is carved into the back. Good shields like this one are always made from a single piece, inferior examples have attached parts (handles). The shape of the baluse is symbolically associated with a crocodile. In South East Asia, the mythological significance of the crocodile goes hand in hand with the belief that deceased rulers or ancestors who have reappeared in the world as crocodiles. Shields like this were (and are) carried in the fatalya dance in combination with swords and spears. The real feuds that were (and are) so impressively practised and staged in the famous stone leaps and dances were short-lived and had more of a raiding character, with the capture of heads for building inaugurations and significant festivities (i.e. large-scale communal projects) being a key motivation. Spears were the actual offensive weapon in battle. Rifles have also been used for centuries in the defence of villages, as with other North Sumatrans (e.g. Alas, Batak, Aceh). The culture of the Ono Niha is particularly famous for its villages with spectacular monumental buildings (clan houses) made of mighty beams and cobbled streets, which are a World Heritage Site. The warriors' "stone leap" is also famous, in which stone walls over 2 metres high are overcome with spectacular jumps.
From an old German private collection, assembled since the 1950s - Minor wear, partly slightly chipped

Lit.: Barbier, J. / Newton, D. (1988): Islands and Ancestors. Indigenous Styles of Southeast Asia. New York. - Bonatz, D. (2001): Wandel einer Megalithkultur im 20. Jahrhundert (Nias/Indonesien). In: Anthropos, Vol. 96, no.1 - Hämmerle, J. (2006): Society and Culture in Nias; Vienna Conference. Wien. - Volkenkundig Museum Nusantara (1990). Nias: Tribal Treasures: Cosmic Reflections in Stone, Wood, and Gold. Delft. - Mittersakschmöller, R. (1998): Joachim Freiherr v. Brenner-Felsach. Eine Reise nach Nias. Unpublished manuscripts from the Museum of Ethnology in Vienna. Materials on exoticism and ethnography.

Seltenes Schild ''baluse'' der Ono Niha
Indonesien, West-, Nias (Süd-), 19. Jh. oder frühes 20.Jh.
H. 133,5 cm
Ein seltener, gut erhaltener Kampfschild von der Insel Nias südlich von Sumatra. Der ovale, blattförmige und leicht gewölbte Schild ist aus einem Stück Holz geschnitzt und mit horizontal angebrachten Rattanbändern verstärkt. Von der oberen bis zur unteren Spitze verläuft ein erhabener Grat, der in der Mitte in einen Schildbuckel einmündet. Rückseitig ist in diesen der Haltegriff eingeschnitzt. Gute Schilde wie der vorliegende sind immer aus einem Stück gefertigt, mindere Exemplare haben angesetzte Teile (Griffe). Die Form des baluse wird symbolisch mit einem Krokodil assoziiert. In Südostasien geht die mythologische Bedeutung des Krokodils einher mit dem Glauben an verstorbene Herrscher oder Ahnen, die als Krokodile wieder auf die Welt gekommen sind. Schilde wie dieser wurden (und werden) im fatalya-Tanz in Kombination mit Schwertern und Speeren getragen. Die realen Fehden, die bei den berühmten Steinsprüngen und Tänzen so eindrücklich geübt und in Szene gesetzt wurden (und werden), waren von kurzer Dauer und hatten eher Überfall-Charakter, wobei die Erbeutung von Köpfen für Baueinweihungen und bedeutsame Festivitäten (d.h. gemeinschaftliche Großprojekte) eine wesentliche Motivation war. Speere waren im Kampf die eigentliche Offensivwaffe. Zudem werden schon seit Jahrhunderten zur Verteidigung der Dörfer, wie bei anderen Nord-Sumatranern (z.B. Alas, Batak, Aceh), auch Gewehre benut

Accepted Forms of Payment:

MasterCard, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

We do not offer inhouse packing and shipping services.

We are pleased to provide you with the following list of transport companies, which we can recommend based on many years of good experience and a longstanding cooperation. We kindly ask you to contact the companies directly to negotiate the terms of costs, insurance and the organization of the transport.

Export to countries outside the EU are subject to the restrictions of the UNESCO convention from 1970 and the European Agreement for the Protection of Cultural Heritage from 1993. Moreover, the cites regulations are applicable. Objects with materials such as ivory or tortoise shell require a permission for export into countries outside the EU contract area due to cites regulations. We point out that such a permission is usually not given. For exports within the EU the Act to Protect German Cultural Property against Removal (Kulturgutschutzgesetz) has been in force since 6th August 2016.


Eric Art Services
Beijing/Shanghai/Hong Kong
+86 10 8880 3001 (BJ)
+86 21 3103 2707 (SH)
+852 2204 1888 (HK)
[email protected]


Mailboxes etc. / MBE
Silke Klink & Marco Bittner
Friedrich-List-Str. 8
70771 Leinfelden-Echterdingen
+49 (0) 711 / 41170270
[email protected]


Matthias Fegers
Service for art and trade
Moldenweg 5
21339 Lüneburg
49 (0) 4131 / 727525
[email protected]


MuseumsPartner Kunstspedition GmbH
Pass-Thurn-Straße 25
6372 Oberndorf bei Kitzbühel
+43 5356 6950
[email protected]


A.V.M. Service and Transport
Alexander von Mertens
Römerstraße 32
70180 Stuttgart
+49 (0) 172 / 71 36 254
[email protected]

June 11, 2024 9:30 AM CEST
Stuttgart, Germany

Nagel Auction

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 32.5% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
0 € 19 € 5 €
20 € 179 € 10 €
180 € 299 € 20 €
300 € 359 € 30 €
360 € 399 € 40 €
400 € 899 € 50 €
900 € 999 € 100 €
1.000 € 1.999 € 100 €
2.000 € 2.999 € 200 €
3.000 € 3.599 € 300 €
3.600 € 3.999 € 400 €
4.000 € 9.999 € 500 €
10.000 € 19.999 € 1.000 €
20.000 € 29.999 € 2.000 €
30.000 € 35.999 € 3.000 €
36.000 € 39.999 € 4.000 €
40.000 € 99.999 € 5.000 €
100.000 € 199.999 € 10.000 €
200.000 € + 20.000 €