Toraja Glyphs: An Ethnocomputation Study of Passura Indigenous Icons

Abstract

For the Toraja, an ethnic group indigenous to South Sulawesi, Indonesia, ornamental engravings known as ′passura′ form more than simple decorative elements on their local architecture—they are symbolic icons that convey spiritual messages. As a representative art form, passura are significant on two levels: to the local community, they convey visual messages from within, while to viewers from outside the community, the icons′ uniformity of arrangement strongly implies an expression of cultural identity. However, knowledge concerning passura design is passed down tacitly from generation to generation, and few outside the community actually understand the underlying meaning of the passura, leaving them able to appreciate only their aesthetic aspects. This study focuses on developing an understanding of the logic of the imagery in the passura in order to investigate the method by which meaning is embedded in them through certain design strategies.