Large wooden containers or bari were generally unadorned everyday objects. However, there are a few grand boxes, around a half dozen or so still extant, that are very old and said to come from the Gomo region of central Nias. They each have a pair of raised splayed human hands sporting large noble bracelets on the lids. The hands further align with two "arms" along the container's body and sides. This imagery symbolically self-locks or firmly secures and tightens the box's lid upon itself. The rectangular holes piercing each arm are for threading strong cordage to bind further and protect the box's contents of gold clan treasures and ceremonial regalia from prying eyes and loose fingertips, as well as from wildlife. 

While the other known “arms and hands” boxes are plain, this box is uniquely painted with a portrait of its chiefly owner in golden finery surrounded by distinguished ornaments. 

This is a rare item that is both conceptually brilliant and a stunning work of art. Here craftsmanship, form, function, and a mirthful sense of humor suggestively play with one another in equal measure. This item also conveys clear and timeless messages regarding ownership, boundaries, and taboos. There is nothing else quite like these boxes in Indonesian art.