Also known as Non-Western Art, the terms Ethnographic or Ethnic Art, Indiginous Art and Tribal Art are interchangeable and refer to art or artifacts created by indigenous people which includes North American Indians, pre-Columbian peoples of Mexico and Central and South America, and cultures or tribal peoples of Africa, Oceania and parts of Mecico and East, South and Southeast Asia. Art forms are generally masks, carved sculptures, paintings, textiles and jewelry which often are spiritual or religious representations.
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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….
Most jauk keras (strong, scary) masks of a giant are often red or orange to reinforce a volatile dance with jerky movements. This jauk manis (good, sweet) mask dance is a more controlled, regulated and enacted with more calm and human movements. Personally collected in Bali in the 1970s, it is in excellent condition with expected minor scratches and paint losses.
Influenced by Islam for centuries, Javanese theater in Indonesia is stylized, didactic and full of central characters said to be cultural and historic icons of morality. Mask drama theater (Topeng Wayang) in Java is dominated by the conservative central Javanese palace courts (kraton) of Surakarta, Solo and Jogjakarta (Yogyakarta) which have long supported mask makers,…
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 probably made for a home shrine or small rice field temple dedicated to Dewi Sri, the Balinese Goddess of Rice. The hole near the bottom indicates it may have been part of a larger decorative scheme.
This Dalem is a traditional folk-art and ethnic mask (topeng) from Bali made from pulai wood of a Hindu king (Dalem). He stares directly at the viewer while his high cheeks help express his poise and the ability to remain cool in a crisis. This is a fine example of a gifted carver able to…
Deeply carved rows of black hair atop the horse’s head form a carved pattern framed by the upward-pointed ears that emphasize the horse’s alertness. Wonderfully modeled with flowing forms, this carving demonstrates the gifts of Tibetan woodcarvers. One can only imagine how important horses are to Tibetans living on “the roof of the world.” Without…
This charming Balinese mask is a traditional female Dayu, an ethnic Balinese high-caste Hindu Brahman Woman. This beautiful carving is too large to be a traditional dance mask , it is a beautiful decorative piece. Presented as a charming and beautiful woman from the top Hindu caste, she has delicate, detailed and sensitive features, that are superbly and subtlety carved. It is presented on a museum quality metal stand.
The culture, rituals, tribal and ethnic art of the Dayak (Dyak) of Kalimantan (Borneo), Indonesia is a mix of shamanism, animism and ancestor worship. Dyak festival masks worn on the face or large ones attached to a costume repel malicious spirits from entering communal spaces, insure village safety, protect babies in their carriers and defend…
This vintage Coptic Axum cross pendant has a circle on top with pierced cutouts and the body has extended arms ending in stylized rectangles with etched circles decorated with etched cross-hatching. The rectangles may represent the Ark of the Covenant. The stamped circles are “protective eyes” to deflect misfortune and avert the “evil eye.” Made using the lost wax technique, it is a one of a kind piece. The chain necklace is not included.
This vintage Ethiopian cross pendant was hand crafted in Axum, known for its crosses with religious geometric shapes and symbols and apotropaic symbols to provide protection to the wearer. The center with cutouts and etched linear decorations simulates an “endless knot” to entangle malevolent spirits and the small incised circles on the arms are “protective eyes” that are believed to bring blessings, deflect misfortune and avert the “evil eye.” The chain necklace is not included.
This vintage Ethiopian cross is typical of the intricate and lyrical designs of a Coptic Cross. Older Coptic Crosses often include circles as here it with circular shape with pierced design on top as well as a circular image below it surrounding a latin cross. The four birds on the outer edge symbolically transform the Cross into the Tree of Knowledge and Life and also symbolize the Holy ghost. A group of four doves represents peace.
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