Indonesian Art - Ancestral Rider on a Singha

Indonesian Art - Ancestral Rider on a Singha

This is actually a box, but does not open up. Boxes like this are used to store ground lime powder, one of the ingredients used in the preparation of the betel nut from the areca palm. Betel is a mild stimulant used for both recreation and ceremonies in Southeast Asia. This would be a personal box, not to be shared. Perhaps the maker decided that he really didn't want to share and so glued the box shut! Created out of bone, probably from a goat, and carved mahogany, the style of the wood figure is inspired by the carvings of the Batak people in Sumatra. The man sits atop a Singha, a combination of lion and horse. A lizard motif is etched into the bone on each side of the box.