• International Journal of Costume and Fashion
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.32-49
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• 2008

The Torajan people who started to receive increased attention from the 1990 are one of the many ethnic groups of Indonesia. This paper intends to examine Torajan Ceremonies practied today in the modern world, driven by the Torajan people's age-old perspective of life and death (and the world after) that comes from their background on traditional lifestyle and (animated) folk religion/belief. It focuses on the ceremonial Dances, which is one of the most important element in Torajan Ceremonies, and gain deeper insight through its costumes and ornaments which traditionally revealed the social status of hosts and performers. In ceremony, the most important division is the classification of ritual into Aluk rampe matallo(life facing ritual ) and Aluk rampe matampu? death ritual). So Traditional Toraja dances may be classified into two genres: life related ritual dances and death ritual dances. Especially the funeral ceremonies in Toraja has been rather more famous on its spectacle aspect to outsiders however its relationships to the broader theme of Torajan Ceremonies and ceremonial dances are very less known and sources on this topic are also very scarce. Fortunately, I was able to witness one of such an ritual event. I did see one kind of the funeral rituals which is the most dramatic and symbolically rich performances in Toraja. Here, a brief account of its will highlight some dimension of ceremony, personfood, and potency in Torajan thought and action.

• Journal of the Korean housing association
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.59-71
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• 2011

The purpose of this study is to investigate the basic historical characteristics and its modern trend of Torajan traditional housing architecture in Sulawesi Province, Indonesia. The Toraja culture belongs to the cosmological culture with Cosmos centric characteristics. A traditional house, being called 'tongkonan' in Toraja region, is more than just a structure, representing the symbol of family identity and tradition. The Torajan architecture is a combination of the myth and cosmos, also regional conditions. With a short description of the general conditions and spiritual values of the Toraja, this paper explains the space-composition, the stylistic characteristics, the ornamental elements, construction, and its modern trend, etc. In general, it is raised on stilts several metres high, with a dramatically boat-shaped roof. Village layout varies according to size. The houses are arranged in a row, side by side, with their front gables facing north. Each house stands opposite its own rice-barn. The houses with their oblong ground-plans, built on piles set on stones. The interior is divided into three or four rooms, having few window. The houses are embellished with carving and paintings, and the facades display engraved and painted geometric and figural designs. The most frequent motif is the buffalo head, ranging from the realistic to the highly stylized. The Torajan traditional housing have experienced radical changes during the Modern period. In spite of the popularity of new modern house-styles, the traditional architectural style is often now constructed as an icon of Toraja identity. This paper will be helpful for understanding regional diversity of the traditional housing in Southeast Asia.