This remarkable statue represents the effigy of a deceased female of aristocratic rank. According to Toraja custom tau tau figures were carved in conjunction with funerary rites of the noble class. During the funeral ceremony these effigies were believed to come alive with the soul of the deceased. Then, at the conclusion of the mortuary rites… the soul of the dead person it represents can proceed to the Puya- the Land of the Hereafter. Eventually the soul ascends to heaven to become part of the constellations, joining the ranks of deified ancestors who are guardians of their descendants and animals, and the protectors of the (rice) harvest. The tau tau itself is placed near the burial tomb, hewn out of a steep cliff, and takes its place next to other tau tau either in a burial cave or on a specially carved out balustrade high up the cliff site. From this high vantage point they watch out from the village without smoke” (i.e. absent of cooking fires indicative of human life) over the rice paddies and the villages they are entrusted to protect.” (Wiggers February 14, 2003)
