Leti Voorouderbeeld - Sculpture - Image of Yene or Iene - Moukken, Leti Islands - Indonesia (No reserve price)

This object is a traditional hand-carved wooden ancestral figure (known as a yene or iene) from the Leti Islands, located in the southeastern Moluccas of Indonesia. These figures were crafted by the local people after the death of a family member. They served as a temporary spiritual dwelling place or 'anchor' for the soul of the deceased, so that the living could maintain contact with their ancestors for guidance and protection. Figures from the Leti Islands are almost always characterized by a seated or crouched posture on a small raised platform or pedestal, with the arms folded or crossed in a specific way (often with the elbows resting on the knees). Many of these figures were confiscated by Dutch missionaries in their efforts to convert the practice, turning the superstition into Christian values.