Rare old Dayak guardian figure from a family ancestor shrine Borneo, Indonesia

  

This is a large and very powerful piece of authentic Dayak tribal art. Johnson Tribal Art, a leading authority on Dayak material culture. Johnson estimates it dates to the mid-1900s. It is from west-central Kalimantan, Indonesia, possibly the Ngaju Dayak or a related sub-group.

It is made of ironwood, with original trade paints, marble eyes, and remnants of natural lichen moss. It measures approximately 40" long x 27" high x 27 wide. It is in very good condition, with some old minor in situ losses to the wood from insect damage and weather exposure. A similar guardian figure from the 19th century is found on pages 30-31 of the 2008 catalogue Art Borneo , in which the author writes, Positioned on top of an ossuary or shrine, this assemblage represents a water snake (or dragon) with the wings of a hornbill. As a morphing of two powerful symbols of the underworld and the upperworld, this guardian figure would have protected important ancestors on their journey to the afterlife.

The item "Rare old Dayak guardian figure from a family ancestor shrine Borneo, Indonesia" is in sale since Thursday, April 18, 2019. This item is in the category "Antiques\Ethnographic\Pacific Islands & Oceania". The seller is "sdpilgrimsoul2012" and is located in Carlsbad, California. This item can be shipped to North, South, or Latin America, all countries in Europe, all countries in continental Asia, Australia, South africa, New Zealand, Egypt, Reunion.

• Featured Refinements: Dayak
• Style: Pacific Islands & Oceania
• Material: Wood
• Original/Reproduction: Original
• Color: Multi-Color