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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Extremely rare provincial carving with a Taoist official on top above the legendary “Spring Ox,” accompanied by the Taoist Earth God “Herd Boy” who each spring ritually “wakes up the earth” by symbolically beating the Spring Ox with sticks.
Elegant antique heddle-pulley carved from a single piece of Burmese teak topped by a hamsa, a goose-like bird and sacred Buddhist symbol of wisdom. Auspicious symbolic animal images are believed protect the weaver, assure quality weaving, and pleases the gods and spirits. Finely weathered from time and use.
Finely carved figures were attached to ox cart yokes to protect farmers from malevolent spirits who inhabited all seen/unseen sectors of their world. . This beautifully carved ox cart yolk image is a chinthe, a mythical Burmese lion/dragon creature commonly decorating many everyday items. A propitious spiritual and protective guardian, the animalsymbolizes power, courage, and strength. This carving displays the common traits of a lions with a long face, large eyes, a long sharp nose, a lion-like beard, and a flame-like shape on the top of his head. Masterfully carved with careful attention to details, see the deeply incised hairs that cover his body. The 2-part piece is held together with a wooden plug. Though for daily use, Burmese craftsmen created beautiful objects and finished them with the best materials they could afford.
Burmese teak heddle pulley surmounted by a graceful peacock that symbolizes wholeness, combining colors and fleeting nature of all things. Based on old animistic beliefs, heddles are decorated with auspicious animals providing the weaver protection, assuring good quality weaving and pleasing the gods.
This elegant heddle pulley carved from a single piece of Burmese teak is topped by a peacock, which in Buddhism represents the short-lived nature of all things. In Burmese animistic traditions, it auspicious animal images protect the weaver, assure quality weaving, and please the gods and spirits. Finely weathered from time and use.
This elegant antique heddle-pulley carved from a single piece of Burmese teak is topped by a hamsa, a goose-like bird and a sacred Buddhist symbol of wisdom. Auspicious symbolic animal images are believed protect the weaver, assure quality weaving, and pleases the gods and spirits. It is wonderfully weathered from time and use with minor losses with a fine patina. Mounted on a black wood base, this heddle pulley pairs well with item number 11298A.
Dance mask of Rangda, sacred Balinese demon-queen with 2 upper and lower fangs, scary teeth, jagged facial elements, menacing eyes, deep red. Featured in Spiderman 2002 movie on museum quality metal stand.
This very masterful and unusual Jauk mask carved by the Balinese community on Lombok has a sweet smile and moustache and eyebrows of animal hide and hair. The dancer wear gloves with very long fingernails moving his hands back and forth to generate anxiety in onlookers.
This exceptional naga was one of two that comprised a gong stand. Gongs were used in Burma for both ceremonial and musical purposes in religious, state, or secular settings. A protection figure, this naga is a superb carving elaborately decorated with gold lacquer and pigmentation. He opens his mouth wide bearing mother-of-pearl teeth and a curled blood red mouth and tongue to drive away malevolent spirits, also reinforced by the large glaring eyes circled in red. On first glance it is menacing, but its history as a protector of Buddha Shakyamuni make it prized as a fanciful, gleeful guardian. His scales are arched relief designs of mixed lacquer and ash and they are highlighted with inset cut mirrors and green sequin-like glass “jewels.” It is mounted on a museum quality stand and is in excellent condition for its age and use despite missing an ear.
Timor masks are rare, intense, characterized by large roughly cut eyes and sometimes have no teeth. This one is not completely black from being stored in house rafters and also has no animal hide with hair attached to it. Its surface has darkened unevenly and there are white bits of white especially on the front. Threatening due to its lack of teeth, asymmetrical eyes and their lack of balance, ancestral masks are used in offering rituals designed to drive off malevolent spirits, scare enemies and perform ritual ceremonies and war celebrations.
Rare and very fine vintage woodcarving of Dewi Sri Balinese Hindu goddess of rice and prosperity in excellent condition considering it is a much used piece. Depicted as a young, attractive and fertile woman with highly decorative headdress. Can be mounted on a wall.
Rare vintage carving dedicated to Dewi Sri, Balinese Goddess of Rice. was probably made for a home shrine or small rice field temple . Hole near the bottom indicates it may have been part of a larger decorative scheme.
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