Indonesia, Borneo, Central Kalimantan, Mahakam River, Dayak peoples, Bahau group, ca. late 19th to early 20th century CE. A powerful wooden carving that would have been part of a longhouse, carved for its apotropaic properties. A high relief mythical face peers out at the viewer, surrounded by incised carvings: swirling and spiraling lines and another mythical face, shown in profile, with a large, round, shell eye. The central figure has fierce fangs, huge curved earrings projecting from even larger ears, and two spiral-shaped nostrils. Giant round inlaid shell eyes complete the face, which also has a sharp vertical brow ridge that travels down to the center of the chin. Earthy, mottled beige pigment and black outlines contribute to the panel's striking appearance. Size: 22" W x 9.35" H (55.9 cm x 23.7 cm)

This panel would have been fitted into a longhouse, the center of Dayak life. Dayak wooden longhouses, often on stilts, can be as much as 150 meters long, housing over 100 families who share kinship. A Dayak's primary allegiance is to the members of his or her longhouse. The creatures depicted here relate to the Dayak belief in Semangat, a supernatural power dictating the lives of all living things - humans, animals, and plants. The disembodied head is a particularly strong symbol for this former headhunting culture.

Provenance: private Nevada, USA collection; ex-Mark Johnson collection

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#150106

Light wear on surface commensurate with age, including some deposits and weathering t the wood. Overall in nice condition with well preserved form and pigment.