Ceremonial Seat for a Noble (Osa'osa)at Quai Branly, Paris

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The skilled artisans of Nias island are renowned for their impressive stone sculptures. Crafted to honor nobles of both sexes, massive stone monuments were commissioned by high-ranking men as part of the elaborate ceremonial requirements of owasa (feasts of merit). Unique stone thrones (osa'osa) are a distinctive feature of Central Nias, serving as seats for esteemed nobles on significant occasions. Osa'osa often bear multiple names, describing different aspects of their form and imagery. Broadly, this work is a si sara bagi, indicating that it has one head rather than three. More poetically, it is called laeluo (leaves in the sun), a metaphorical reference to its aristocratic sponsor, whose grandeur illuminates the village like sunlight shining on leaves of trees. Specifically, it is a gogowaya (hornbill), a large forest bird, depicted as an extraordinary composite creature with legs and teeth of a feline or crocodile, antlers of a deer, and beak, crest, and tail of a hornbill. Serving as a supernatural guardian for its noble rider, its ferocity is emphasized by a warrior's necklace (kalabubu) worn around its throat.