Art of the Ancestors 2021 Gallery Expansion
To celebrate the completion of our first expansion of the galleries, Art of the Ancestors is presenting three examples from each newly re-installed gallery. Acknowledging the re-installation process provides us with an opportunity to express our gratitude and profound esteem for each local tradition cited and for every contributing institution represented on this site that is stewarding Island Southeast Asian material for our collective edification.
The pieces illustrated below are personal favorites. While they are all chef d'oeuvre examples of the highest artistic merit, they also possess deeper messages that promote and embody the spirit or personality of each of the local traditions being explored on Art of the Ancestors. At their very finest, Indonesian masterworks are edgy, agonal, and powerful expressions that are equally serene and with a confident sense of beauty that transcends any cultural or geographic boundaries. Few pieces of Indonesian art actually possess both finesse and fortissimo. Still, it is a natural outcome of a master craftsman in cultures that are Asian in outlook and that seek to mollify and please by ritually creating a sense of balance in all things. In response to our readership's questions about what constitutes quality or authenticity, we are dedicated to sourcing and posting artworks that fit these aforementioned criteria from local traditions as benchmarks for connoisseurship, documentation, dialogue, and further appreciation.
Making something as attractive and as practical as possible reflects the status of leading individuals and the community at large. This is the essence of power and protection and the commencement and terminus for the journey of more deeply understanding sublime Indonesian masterworks. The most compelling items on this site reflect a great impetus' of stylistic variation and materials ranging from works in wood, stone, bronze, precious metals, fiber, bead, and bone. With this sampling, we invite our readership to further explore Art of the Ancestors’ revamped galleries, where pieces of universal artistic merit, spirit, and provenance abound.
— Steven G. Alpert, founder of Art of the Ancestors