Dayak "Man and Child" Ironwood Sculpture, Indonesia, Early 20th Century

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A hand-carved effigy of a man and child from the Dayak tribe in Borneo, mounted on a black metal stand.

… Read more A hand-carved effigy of a man and child from the Dayak tribe in Borneo, mounted on a black metal stand.

Ancestral figures were important in Dayak culture as a means of spiritual protection. Among the best known are anthropomorphic sculptures known as Hampatong (effigy in local language). The Hampatong are mostly placed outside - in front of a ceremonial lodge, at a village crossroads or on a riverbank. These statues are believed to perform functions of protection, commemoration or representation of an ancestor.

This effigy of a man and child was carved in ironwood around the early 20th Century. It depicts a man with his arms wrapped around a small child in a gesture of protection, standing on a rectangular base intricately decorated in the front.

41.5 inches high, 6 inches wide, 5 inches deep. Mounted on a black metal stand with an 8" x 8" base. See less