The shamans of the Dayak on Borneo keep their objects (small containers with ‘magic substances’, animal teeth, special stones, etc.) which they need for their work (oracles, soothsaying, judgements etc.) in round receptacles. These round ‘jars’ consist of bark, sewn up with wickerwork, and closed with a round wooden lid. On the outer wall of these sacred or ritual containers, normally such protective spirit figures, carved out of wood, are attached, in order to guard and protect the valuable contents of the ‘shaman boxes’. The present figure is such a tutelary spirit of a shaman box: carved carefully out of hard, dark brown wood in typical Dayak style, the spirit sits on a rounded plinth. Below a five-sided rod with two holes is connected, made out of the same piece of wood. By means of the two holes, above and below the protective spirit is connected to the container holding the paraphernalia of the shaman. An interesting object, without any damage. H: 25 cm. First half of the 20th century. (ME)

Provenance: Austrian Private Collection.

Lit.: 'The Eloquent Dead' by Jerome Feldman, ill. 147, 148.

additional image:
A “SHAMAN BOX” of the Iban-Dayak, Borneo: in such round, ritual containers the Dayak Shamans kept all the objects that they required for their “work”. This “Shaman Box” is guarded and protected by three “protective spirits” carved out of wood and fastened to it.
Photo from: “Iban Art” by M. Heppell, L. A. Melaka, E. A. Usen