Boat House Mausoleum

Kete Kesu Village, Tana Toraja

This mausoleum in the shape of a house is a modern variant of the more traditionally-inspired (but still modern) Torajan "boat-house burials" (see previous page). Its walls are decorated with various motifs that include, along the side, a traditional snake-and-clouds decoration in two horizontal bands. A realistic statue of the principal deceased, encased in modern plexiglass to keep it safe from the elements, watches over the upper front. Below is a Christian cross: the Torajans are culturally animist, although many now identify themselves as Christian^1,2,3. The roof of the mausoleum is a modified boat-form.

¹In the interests of national unity, the government of Indonesia officially recognizes only five major religions: Islam, Buddhist, Hindu, Christian, or Confucian. Animists were excluded from the official list, so most of them identify themselves today as (at least nominal) Christians.

²For historical reasons, Christians are subdivided by the government into Catholics or Protestants, so in the official literature one will often see references to the official "six religions", not the actual five.

³Confucianism is not culturally important in modern or ancient Indonesia. It was included simply to recognize the historical importance of Chinese traders in the economic life of the islands.