Indonesia has an extraordinary ancient tradition of stone sculpture that is little known in the West. Most of it pre-dates the arrival of Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and lastly, Christianity and functioned as a vector to communicate with ancestors, a principle theme in island Indonesia traditional religion. This piece probably depicts a founding ancestor. An enigmatic script—probably only decipherable by a shaman—is on one face. It was not a grave marker but probably was placed at the entrance to a village or community.
