Mbaru Wina – Full Wood Log

Waerebo’s traditional house is constructed in a distinctive cone-like shape that reflects both 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. This separation is practiced to maintain chastity, balance, and ritual purity. This sculpture represents Mbaru Wina, the woman’s house. It is a sacred space where women reside and where rituals related to femininity and life cycles are performed, such as prayers for a life partner, fertility and offspring, as well as rituals of self-purification and spiritual cleansing. The sculpture carefully captures the house’s iconic cone-shaped form, including its elevated foundation at the base, which functions as a protective barrier to prevent wild animals from entering the living space.

Artist: Ballac Kuleng
Origin: Nangalili, Manggarai, Flores
Material: Burned Acacia Wood
Dimension:
Height 70 cm
Diameter 35 cm