In central Nias Island, there is a long tradition of stone sculpture, and commemorative stone monuments were placed outside the great houses of nobles and in surrounding stone plazas to honor the hosts of large feasts. One of the main engagements of nobility was to perform ritual feasts that required vast labor and resources in the creation of gold ornaments and the distribution of food and gifts to raise an individual's personal status and glorify a clan's lineage. In this way, aristocratic ideals and clans' social relationships were periodically reaffirmed. Over time, groupings of stone monoliths, statues, and seats became prominent locations in a village center for ritual activity that served as a living conduit to the ancestors. Stone seats (osa'osa) are only found in central Nias Island and exist in various shapes and sizes. This particular seat (osa osa si sara mbagi) of impressive age and size is among the finest on display in any museum in the United States. Formally, it combines forms of earthbound animals and human characteristics with otherworldly beasts. The circular seat supports the head of a dragon set with tiger's teeth (lasara) and the fanned tail of a bird. The beast displays a warrior's necklace (kalabubu) and the shape and musculature of the legs and genitalia are anthropomorphic—further suggesting the power of the nobility and linking them to the supernatural.