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Artist: Unknown
Origin: Lombok, Indonesia
Material: Carved bovine bone, wood limbs, human hair
Dimensions: Each approx. 9” H x 2.25” W x 2.5” D
Weight: Combined approx. 1.6 lbs
📜 Final Sale – All items are unique collector artifacts. Please review descriptions and photos carefully. No returns.
Catalogue Note:
A rare and symbolically charged pair of early 20th-century marriage dolls from the island of Lombok, Indonesia. Carved from bovine bone with articulated wooden limbs and human hair, these ceremonial figures embody the sacred duality of male and female forces. Marriage dolls of this nature were believed to represent union, fertility, and ancestral protection within Sasak spiritual traditions.
Both figures stand equal in height and are rendered with anatomical detailing, jointed limbs, and expressive faces. The female is marked by a finely etched lizard motif on her back—an enduring Southeast Asian symbol of regeneration and continuity—while the male figure maintains a rooted stance suggestive of guardianship. Notably, the surface of each figure exhibits a reflective gloss, likely from a traditional or applied polish, which enhances the sculptural clarity and imparts a subtle luminosity to the bone.
Now rare in this form, the pair resonates with the intimacy of ritual, the quiet dignity of folk belief, and the curatorial allure of primitive Oceanic art.
Highlights:
• Early 20th-century articulated marriage dolls from Lombok, Indonesia
• Carved from engraved bovine bone with movable wooden limbs
• Includes human hair; female features symbolic lizard motif
• Subtly reflective polish enhances the sculptural bone surface
• Symbolic of union, fertility, and ancestral guidance
• Ideal for gallery or cabinet of curiosities display
