Nias Community

Saita Gari

Saita Gari literally means the gari (sword) hanger, this wooden pillar believed to be located inside the osali (temple) as a part of ancient Nias religion's ritual. On the peak of the pillar is an adu zatua (ancestor statue). It is suspected that Saita Gari is a representation of a sacred tree in... read more

Osa-Osa

Osa-osa is an adu (statue) that functions as a chair or seat during ceremonies. The culture of making osa-osa is popular in southern Nias. This statue depicts Lasara, a mythical animal in ancient Nias religion. The material is made of stone or wood. The one-headed osa-osa is generally used as a... read more

Southern Nias Traditional Coffin

This coffin comes from southern Nias, this coffin is decorated with the head of a Lasara which is a mythical animal in ancient Nias religion. At the top of the lid of this casket there is a male figure in a lying position. These coffin were made for nobles who were considered to have contributed... read more

Traditional Costume from North Sumatra Province

There are a lot of ethnic or tribe in North Sumatra, but on this picture represented six tribe. Here they are : 1. Malay (top left) 2. Simalungun (top center) 3. Mandailing/Angkola (top right) 4. Karo (bottom left) 5. Pak-Pak (bottom center) 6. Batak Toba (bottom right) PS : Nias tribe is also... read more