Animism is the belief that plants, natural phenomena and inanimate objects all have a spiritual essence and, therefore, are worthy of worship and offerings to stay in their favor or, in the case of bad ones, to keep them at bay and disinterested. It is also a belief in spirits that exist separate from a human body.
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This extremely rare late Ming/early Qing dynasty antique-Chinese-wood-carving carving is divided in two parts and is significant for its juxtaposition of images as well as its unique iconography. The top is one of the Taoist officials in typical officials-attire: an official’s hat, a tiered robe with a red sash extending to the tops of the…
Nats worship was integral to indigenous beliefs in Burma/Myanmar since before the arrival of Buddhism. Burmese-carvings of these mythical or deified humans are seen in Buddhist temples, pagodas, government buildings, and in nat centers throughout Burma. Nats existed in early forms in shamanism and animism beginning when life was associated with agricultural pursuits and the…
Burmese carvings are known for fine craftsmanship, masterful decoration, and functional items including carved heddle pulleys used in strip-weaving. Used in pairs at the top of the loom, heddle pulleys are functional and aesthetic and usually decorated with auspicious images symbolizing figures or animals protecting the weaver, assuring good quality weaving, and pleasing the gods…
Oxen/bullocks and their carts were the primary means in Burma/Myanmar for plowing, hauling or transportation. Inexpensive and adaptable to any terrain, they were used to tend fields and carry goods, agricultural products, lumber, and people. Two or four-wheeled carts were pulled by one or a pair of oxen that were hitched to the cart by…
Heddle pulleys were used in strip-weaving, a small-loom process producing long cloth strips sewn together creating a larger textile such as blankets and ritual cloths. A source of pride for the carver, heddles were decorated with carved figures or animals symbolizing auspicious beings scholars believe protect the weavers and assure their weavings were of good…
Burmese carvings are known for fine craftsmanship, masterful decoration, and functional items including carved heddle pulleys used in strip-weaving. In pairs at the top of the loom, heddles are functional and aesthetic and usually were decorated with auspicious images symbolizing figures or animals protecting the weaver and assured good quality weaving that pleased the gods…
This elegant heddle pulley with a hamsa is carved from a single piece of Burmese teak and portrayed with deeply cut wings to express well-articulated feathers. Having an unusually long tail, it runs from his rear and curves to the top of its head. Its feet are atop two connected heart-shaped panels that hide the moving thimble between them providing a more artistic feel. This piece is in very good condition, is wonderfully weathered, and has with minor losses with a fine patina covers its originally painted surface. Mounted on a black wood base, this heddle pulley pairs well with item number 11298A.
Nagas are powerful folk art serpents similar to dragons who live in the underworld or in waters, move through the earth as if it were water or fly through the heavens. Often described as a half-serpent, half-human, these semi-divine mythical animals have a past in animism and were object of rituals, worship and devotion as a…
In Bali, Indonesia, Hindu villages have a sacred collection of woodcarvings in the form of Balinese masks (topeng) danced as offerings to the gods with a gamelan percussion orchestra. Balinese dance masks are endowed with magic (tenget) ), especially. the 2 central to Balinese mythology, culture and their past of animism: Rangda and Barong. Barong…
Balinese carvings and masks are ethnic folk art and a blend of Hinduism and its initial animism. Most masks made in Bali are from pulai wood that rarely cracks and is easier to carve. As it is not native to Lombok, carvers there use a variety of woods some of which were dense with others light….
This rare, vintage spirit mask is from Timor in Indonesia. Their animism is characterized by ritual exchanges between individuals or social groups with ancestral and fertility spirits having a close reciprocal link between the deceased and the secular world as ancestors require sustenance, respect and attention (i.e. offerings), while humans seek advice, good fortune, health…
This rare vintage carving was likely made for home shrine or small rice field temple dedicated to Dewi Sri, the Balinese Goddess of Rice. Likely part of a larger decorative scheme, she is presented as a beautiful young woman wearing an elaborate headdress and a rich garment with arm and wristbands and an intricate neck…
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