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3. Tanimbar family shrines There is no uncertainty whatsoever concerning the position of the tavu, the world-famous Tanimbar plank statues - these were part of the physical construction of a founding house, usually situated immediately opposite the entrance. Only the accommodation of aristocratic families was so furnished; the richly-decorated objects radiated the fame and glory of the families concerned. Origin Plank statues were carved in the Tanimbar islands until the beginning of the 20th century. On average they were one-and-a-half metres tall and the basic form was often a standing male figure with his arms outspread (RMV 2235-1a). The name tavu, by which the statues are known, was used on the north-eastern island of Fordate. The term is derived from concepts such as 'beginning' and 'origin'. It refers to the founding ancestors, as the origin of the family, and to the time in which - sometimes still in the form of an animal - they lived and took possession of prestigious family heirlooms. These aspects are also expressed in the decoration. A common seat In contrast to the statues from Lakor and Damar discussed above, a tavu did not usually represent a specific ancestor, but was dedicated to both the male and female ancestors of a family. By placing skulls, neck vertebrae and statues of later ancestors, called walut, on a shelf above the tavu, the plank statue became, in fact, the common seat of all the deceased members of a family group, counted through the male line. It formed a sort of family shrine where, if it were necessary, the head of the group could make an offering to all the deceased family members at the same time, and call upon all the ancestral power available. A seat was attached to some tavu to allow the head of the group to sit down.
Tavu and luli As far as design is concerned, Tanimbar plank statues have interesting things in common with the Lakor luli figures. Both types go to similar extremes. Like luli statues, tavu on the one hand may show a quite realistically designed human form, decorated with various ornamentation (RMV 2235-1), while on the other hand there are also plank statues that are completely dominated by applied decorative motifs in which the human figure, as it were, is absorbed into the ornamentation (RMV 3600-3965). And, as with luli statues, various 'mixed' forms are found between the realistic and the more abstract family shrines. Decorative motifs The spiral form is undoubtedly the most dominant decorative motif and is found on practically all Tanimbar tavu. As already noted, besides spiral forms there are sometimes representations of the founding ancestors and the family heirlooms they collected. Ancestors may be portrayed by means of a human or an animal figure. When the ancestor was depicted as an animal, it was often as a cock, a dog or a fish-like creature. As in many other places in Maluku Tenggara, on the Tanimbar archipelago these animals were associated with hunters and warriors, the men who were responsible for maintaining the reputation of the family group. The symbolic meaning of the animal figures was closely linked to the frequently-occurring representation - often highly stylized - of Nautilus seashells. This type of shell was once an important status symbol on the islands and depicted the severed heads of enemies. Besides such symbolic representations, more tangible 'hunting trophies' are found on various plank statues: teeth of defeated enemies nailed into the tavu, also bear witness to the glory of the family group. The illustrated family heirlooms, assembled by the first ancestors, are usually gold breast pendants or earrings, jewellery well-known locally, each with its own name. Since time immemorial these precious objects played an important role in Tanimbar culture and varying from finery to dowry goods. On Tanimbar the intrinsic meaning of the objects was much as it was elsewhere - here, too, jewellery was a substitute trophy, propagating the prestige of the family group. 'Great deeds' Although in some ways the Tanimbar family shrines resemble Lakor luli, the chosen decorative motifs clearly represent different social values. It is status, not fertility, that is the dominant factor, a difference which must be seen in the context of the differences in social organization on the islands. On Lakor this was matrilineal, with a predominant role for the founding mother as a source of fertility; in the Tanimbar archipelago descent was through the male line and the ancestors' 'great deeds' were immortalized in many plank statues. Although they developed into shrines for all ancestral power, originally the tavu probably represented only the first male ancestor. | |
