KUBURAN BATU LEMO

The Toraja people perpetuate a singular tradition through funeral effigies, known as Tau-Tau. After the death of an eminent personality, a sculptor painstakingly carves a head from wood, usually from bancoulier or jackfruit. This head is then fixed to a bamboo rod, to which two bars are attached to form the skeleton of the shoulders and waist.

The mannequin thus created is then wrapped in several pieces of fabric, followed by dressing in the clothes belonging to the deceased. Some effigies reveal a remarkable finesse of carving, resulting from the primitive Tau-Tau technique, where the head-trunk and arms were carved from one block, while the pelvis and legs were carved from another. The forearms and hands were then attached and secured with pegs.

Once the dressing process was complete, the mannequin was placed near the house where the body of the deceased lay. This is followed by a series of complex rituals, orchestrated by several intercessors, marking the beginning of the veneration of the effigy. Lamentations by the women surround the tau-tau, followed by the evocation of the genealogy and history of the ancestors. The mannequin is then undressed, and its head placed in the attic to encourage the harvest. The next day, in a long ceremony, the body of the deceased and his effigy are transported to the grave, often high up on a mountainside or in a dedicated house. Even today, in Lemo and Londa, the cliff is home to a tiered cemetery where the tombs of the noblest rise to the top.

Among the Toraja, the tau-tau holds a special status, as much so as the dead man himself. It is adorned, cared for, mourned and transported, receiving offerings as well. Quite simply, he is revered. Its primary and essential role is to watch over the living, helping to maintain their health and ensuring an ongoing spiritual connection with the ancestors. This artistic and cultural heritage offers a unique insight into Toraja beliefs and practices.

Since the 1980s, Tau-Tau have gained in popularity on the international art market, forcing many villagers to conceal the ancestral figures to protect them from theft and sale as traditional art objects. The looting of tombs and the growing influence of tourism have had a significant impact on the funerary traditions of Toraja culture.