This website is dedicated to portraying the story behind authentic tribal art from the islands of Indonesia and neighbouring countries. Pieces from a private collection, auctioned pieces and museum artefacts are described and background information about the tribal cultures is provided.

Indonesia is a vast and complex country in which diverse cultures have sprung up, aided by the geographical isolation of tribes due to the many island in the archipelago. The history of the archipelago shows an ancient technological advance and is known to have had a complex and wide network of trade relations extending from South East Asias mainland to Irian Jaya in the far East.

Probably one of the most unique cultures in Indonesia is that of the Nias people. These people live on Pulau Nias and is part of an island chain extending along the west coast of Sumatra. The Nias Island has long been isolated from great events in Indonesian cultural currents and hence has developed and preserved it’s own unique social form and structure. Throughout Nias wooden and stone sculptures are used to mediate between the spirits of deceased elders and the human realms. These wooden sculptures are some of the most impressive in South East Asia and can be bold and geometric or intricate. The greatest variety of images and combinations can be found in Nias.

The majority of the private collection houses Nias arts, but it’s location is undisclosed due to the value of several pieces.

Apart from the unique Nias sculptures, many other cultures have produced impressive arts like the Mentawai (Islands South of Nias), Batak (Sumatra), Toraja (Celebes) and the people of Java, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Irian Jaya, Bali and Timor. Pieces from these areas are also included in the collection, together with some artefacts from countries like Thailand, China and India.

Please enjoy the collection of tribal arts displayed in our gallery and learn more about the diverse cultures in the different sections.