Dayak Hampatong Wood Ancestor Sculpture, Borneo (Kalimantan), Indonesia (1306AKH)

Description

This human figure is an honored Dayak effigy called a hampatong, the name used for both ancestor and protective human and mythical animal figures made from Borneo ‘iron wood’. The Dayak people are indigenous to Borneo (Kalimantan), Indonesia, the world’s 3rd largest island with 4.6 million members comprised of over 200 ethnic subgroups. Residing in tropical rain forests, their livelihood is slash and burn farming, hunting and fishing. Their dwellings are communal longhouses along rivers where they practice shared rituals and traditional celebrations like the annual harvest festival (Gawai Dayak). Embracing their strong animistic and shamanistic roots, their lives and culture are focused on spirituality and respect for nature as seen in their elaborate artwork, detailed tattoos and vibrant festivals. Their storied past includes the practice of headhunting which ceased decades ago. An integral part of the Dayak culture has been their hampatong images carved from a single piece of dense Borneo wood using crude adzes which is physically and spiritually challenging. The Hampatong that honor ancestors – who are believed to advise and aid the living – tend to have minimalistic, abstract and generally more natural facial and bodily features and are often represent the image of a recently deceased person. Hampatong have many protective and ceremonial functions. They are used as memorial images at burial sites and are protective guardians placed close to their longhouses. Others positioned near fields are said to increase the growth of rice, help produce abundant crops and transmit fertility to the village. Weather conditions in the interior of Borneo result in carvings deteriorating rather quickly. This weathering creates rough surfaces, gouges and wood losses that contribute and enhance their natural beauty which are prized by collectors. Facing modernization and deforestation, Dayaks are deeply committed to preserving their cultural heritage and environmental conservation.