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Spirit House
Spirit House
Sumba Island, Indonesia, 19th Century
carved limestone 26 h × 24 w × 15 d in (66 × 61 × 38 cm)
carved limestone 26 h × 24 w × 15 d in (66 × 61 × 38 cm)
estimate: $7,000–9,000
Sumba Island, located in the Indonesian archipelago, retained until the early 20th century one of the world’s last megalithic cultures. The animistic Sumbanese, who hadn’t converted to Islam, Hinduism or Christianity until recently, built impressive ceremonial complexes of stone monuments, tombs, thrones and figurative sculpture that were surrounded by gigantic multi-level houses. Round stone discs supported the floors of the structures and also were heirlooms passed from generation to generation.