Mbaru Rona – Full Wood Log A

Waerebo’s traditional house is constructed in a distinctive cone-like shape that reflects environmental adaptation and ancestral cosmology. In Flores culture, the separation of men’s and women’s spaces is an important social and spiritual principle, especially during traditional processions, including the use of separate bathing areas, to maintain chastity, social order, and ritual purity. This sculpture represents Mbaru Rona, the man’s house. It functions as a ceremonial space for traditional processions and rites of passage related to leadership, lineage, and social status, including succession as an heir to the throne and one’s role as a husband and father. Mbaru Rona also serves as a place for safeguarding ancestral heirlooms. The horn symbol conveys bravery and masculine authority, while the sculpture captures the house’s iconic cone-shaped form and elevated foundation, designed to protect the living space from wild animals.

Artist: Ballac Kuleng
Origin: Nangalili, Manggarai, Flores
Material: Burned Acacia Wood
Dimension:
Height 71 cm
Diameter 32 cm