An old, original ‘shaman’s box' made of wood, bark, rattan stripes and fibre cord-wrap. Dyed mostly black. The round, lightly conical, upwardly bulging lid is carved of thick, hard wood. The sidewalls are made of thinner tree bark. The round bark box is decorated and held together on the outside with two wraps made of plaited fibre cords and rattan stripes.
Perched above on the flat tip of the lip is the figure of a tutelary spirit carved of wood and coloured black. Two further such figures are placed on the continually carved staffs on the sides of bark box. They are secured to the bark wall by plant strips and connect to the wooden bottom with small nails.
All three tutelary spirit figures, which protect the shaman, and are supposed to expel ‘evil spirits’, are very carefully carved! The upper one, on the lid, has braced its outstretched arms over its knees. Both of the side figures have an arm held to the cheek, one on the right, and one the left arm. In such lidded boxes called ‘Lupong manang’ the Dayak shamans of Borneo used to keep all the magical paraphernalia they might have needed for their healing, oracles and predictions: small containers, filled with ‘magical substances’, animal teeth, ‘sacred stones’ and much more.
The present Dayak shaman’s box exhibits old and credible usage patina on the outside as well as on the inside (!) from long-time use. There is no significant damage. Very rare! Height: c. 27 cm; Diameter: c. 18 cm (lid). First half of the 20th century. (ME)

Provenance:
Austrian Private Collection.

Lit.:
'The Eloquent Dead' by Jerome Feldman, ill. 147, 148; 'Iban Art' by M. Heppell, L. Melaka & E. Usen, p. 155, ill. 197, 198, 199; 'Headhunters & Woodcarvers' by Francois Coppens, ill. 45.