Shamanism is a religious practice centered on a shaman who is a cultural mediator and peacekeeper useing healing, divination, trance, magic and their knowledge of their cultural beliefs and religious traditions to communicate on behalf of their community with the spirits, including the deceased. Shamans believe they can alleviate unrest, assuage unsettled issues, predict the future, solve social problems and immersing in a lifelong study of plants heal the sick. They are believed to achieve powers using trance or ecstatic religious experience. Regarded as having access to, and influence in, the world of good and evil spirits, shamans are viewed as counselors and religious leaders among indigenous groups in Asia, Africa, Australia, Europe and the Americas. They typically enter a trance state or have an ecstatic religious experience during a ritual and practice divination and healing. They are generally believed to be able to communicate with the otherworld and escort souls of the dead to the netherworld.
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Burmese ox carts are often decorated with carved teak ornaments attached to the yoke/cart crosspiece with a similar function of protection and guidance as the figurehead prow on a ship. This ornament of a man moving up a hill is probably a Burmese nat that wascinitially brightly painted andnow is mounted on a wood and metal stand.
This wonderful teak carving may be an indigenous Burmese Nat placed atop a large fleur-de-lis shield reflecting British influence. Wearing a local native sarong (longyi) with an attractive border drawn up between his legs, a decorative pointed collar covers his chest and shoulders, his headgear is pointed at each side, the eyes are mother of pearl, and the red-painted lips are what remains of what was likely a fully painted carving.
This elegant heddle-pulley carved from a single piece of Burmese teak is topped by a hamsa, a sacred Buddhist symbol of wisdom mentioned in the Jakata tales about the life of the Buddha. It is believed that auspicious symbolic animal images protected the weaver, assured quality weaving, and pleased the gods and spirits. This antique piece is wonderfully weathered from time and use.
Finely carved figures were attached to ox cart yokes to protect farmers from malevolent spirits who inhabited all seen and unseen sectors of their environment. This beautifully carved ox cart yolk was created in the image of a chinthe, (the word for lion) a mythical creature commonly represented in Burma to decorate a multiplicity of everyday items. Considered a propitious spiritual and protective guardian figure, the chinthe symbolizes power, courage, and strength. This carving displays the common characteristics of singhas with a long face with large eyes, a long sharp nose, a long draping lion-like beard, and a flame-like shape on the top of his head. He stands on all four legs holding his beard that extends from his open roaring mouth with sharply pointed teeth that combine elegance with strong beast-like strength. He is masterfully carved with careful attention to details like the deeply incised hairs that cover his body. For functional reasons, the piece is in two parts held together with a wooden plug. Even though it was for daily use, Burmese craftsmen created beautiful objects and finished them with the best materials they could afford. This piece was originally covered with lacquer, most of which has faded with use over time. It is in good condition with losses to his left side, fading surface, and wear consistent with its age and use.
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 and it also is the emblem of its last dynasty the Burmese Dynasty. It is believed that auspicious symbolic animal images protected the weaver, assured quality weaving, and pleased the gods and spirits. This antique piece is wonderfully weathered from time and use.
This vibrant carving of a Taoist priest or shaman is in religious attire with double-winged high hat centered with an image of a taotie. Two fingers of hisleft hand are in karana mudra to cast our evil spirits and the tael or silver ingot in his right hand represents a wish for wealth. The closed cavity and the inscription on the back indicate it was consecrated by a Taoist priest.
Dayak Hudoq made after the arrival of masks from Java show their influence, but now even masks like this valid Vintage Dyak piece are hard to find. Authentic with strong parallels with traditional Hudoq pieces, it is painted in an unusual detailed pattern while the projecting mouth and nose, pierced eyes and undulating snake-like elements on the separately carved and attached wing-like ears align with Hudoq tradition. Mask reproductions throughout Indonesia are referred to as “antique baru” (new antiques), but this original, later, authentic vintage mask is hard to find and scarce. Personally collected in the 1970s, it is in excellent condition, placed on a museum-quality metal stand and without restoration or repairs except for the new wing-ear bindings.
This vintage hudoq Dayak ancestor mask has traditional Dayak features: wing-like separately carved ears attached with rattan that, like this, usually is replaced; long extended triangle nose, rounded arabesque-like ears and eye-holes, gnarled teeth, and geometric and curvilinear painted decorations. This one of three VA masks featured in collection of the Green Goblin in the 2002 Spiderman movie and is set on a museum-quality metal stand.
This vintage Dyak hudoq mask from Kalimantan (Borneo) reflects many characteristic hudoq elements: its characteristic head shape, white designs on the forehead and face, the curled mustache arabesques and other carved and painted areas around the eyes creating a well-carved, special and impressive image. Made from a single wood piece, it is a transitional stage carving that stylistically reflects traditional Dayak (Dyak) masks but blends it with Javanese mask traditions. Collected personally in Bali in the 1970s, it comes with a museum-quality metal stand.
This handmade Hmong “spirit lock” pendant amulet necklace was made with high-grade silver, worn as a protective talisman to “lock in” protective spirits. This trapezoid-shaped pendant is engraved with traditional Hmong motifs – dots, triangles, curved and lines within geometric sections, centered with two 4-leaf flowers and topped by spirals that may represent elephant trunks or coiled snakes.
This large rare vintage Timor ancestor mask has huge eyes, a horsehair beard, an inverted curved U-shaped mouth and two small half-circle ears and is an ancestral carving said to protect living relatives. In excellent condition considering its age, storage and use, its black patina results from its storage above the hearth and comes with a museum-quality metal stand. This mask is one of 3 of our masks featured in the original 2002 Spiderman movie pictured on the wall in the collection of Norman Osborn, the Green Goblin.
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