Rare Dayak amulet - Iban Dayak - Indonesia (No reserve price)

A remarkable and rare anthropomorphic amulet from the Iban Dayak people of Borneo, field collected in the 1990s and preserved in very good condition. This intriguing piece represents a stylised human figure with a highly expressive face, carefully defined eyes, prominent cheeks and a small mouth. Particularly striking is the elongated, segmented projection rising from the top of the head, giving the figure an unusual and mysterious appearance. The body is compact and rounded, with the arms positioned across the lower torso and the legs extending outward. The entire figure has been carved with considerable attention to its distinctive anatomical features and overall expression.
The dark, almost black surface displays an attractive, naturally developed patina, with lighter areas of wear on the raised sections, particularly along the head, limbs and projecting ornament. These variations in colour, together with numerous fine surface marks, give the object a strong sense of age and character. The carving combines simplified human anatomy with imaginative sculptural elements, resulting in a particularly individual and visually compelling composition.
Among the Iban Dayak, small anthropomorphic figures and charms could be associated with spiritual protection, personal well-being and relationships with the unseen world. Traditional beliefs concerning ancestral spirits and other supernatural forces played an important role in Iban society. Although the precise ritual function of this particular figure cannot be established with certainty, its unusual form suggests a possible connection with this wider tradition of protective or spiritually significant objects.
An uncommon and highly appealing example of Iban Dayak carving, distinguished by its unusual proportions, expressive facial features and remarkable elongated head ornament. Field collected in the 1990s, this well-preserved amulet is an interesting collector's piece for enthusiasts of Bornean ethnographic art, traditional amulets and the spiritual material culture of Southeast Asia.

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