Showing 157–168 of 183 results
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 vintage Ibeji portrays a simple yet strong elegance with his characteristic large conical head, long curved neck and elaborately striated hairstyle. His extremely large round bulging eyes under heavy lids, flaring nose, full lips, and large flat ears reflect the Yoruba idealized form of beauty and exemplify being a correct and upstanding example of tribal values. His prominent genitalia and buttocks and his sturdy vertical stance on wide feet, thick legs and strong rounded shoulders and arms symbolize his strength and fertility. Scarification patterns appear on his cheeks and forehead, and he wears a necklace with traditional Yoruba blue and multi colored beadwork.
Dalem is an idealized and refined mask (topeng, tapel) of a model Hindu King from Bali and is usually white symbolizing purity. The mask and dance present actions, postures and gestures validating the traits of a good king: grace, poise, dignity and refinement. This piece is well carved, balanced and in fine proportion, and the crown and the animal hide and hair eyebrows and mustache are well integrated in portraying the king’s confidence. It is in very good condition with a wash applied as a the mask to make it look older. It was personally collected in Bali in the 1970s.
Click here for the blog Indonesian Dance Masks (Topeng): Spiritually Connecting the Community
This Tibetan mask shows the mastery of Tibetan carvers. It emphasizes the horse’s strength and alertness by cutting deeply around the large and widely separated eyes, raising the lids, creating black eyelash lash patterns as if the horse is moving and proving its strength and stamina. Its open mouth reinforces this and reveals a fine set of teeth. In excellent condition, it was personally collected in Nepal in the late 1970’s.
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 Dyak 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.
Originally mounted on the wood stick now inserted into its acrylic stand, this vintage, stately, elegantly dressed female folk-art doll is an opera dancer in ceremonial dress holding her elongated finely defined hands in front of her chest. Her wood head is beautifully painted and her black hair is intricately coiffed in a bun and ponytail down her back and adorned with two upward standing ovals decorated with sequins, cloth and plastic florals. She wears a long flowing beige dress with a contrasting yellow jacket, belt and sash hanging down to the base with five pedaled green flower plum blossoms, inset sequins, highlighted and outlined with silver thread and bright red shoes.
This very fine and very beautiful vintage woodcarving of Dewi Sri , Devi Sri or Sridevi in Java, the Balinese Hindu goddess of rice and prosperity, is in excellent condition considering it is a much used vintage piece. Personally collected in Bali in the 1970s, it reflects the offerings made to Dewi Sri placed in the rice fields to protect the rice harvest. She is depicted here as a young, attractive and fertile woman wearing a striking, highly detailed and decorative headdress similar to those worn in Balinese dances leaving her upper forehead bare and framing her oval face with high curved eyebrows, wide-open eyes and beautiful pursed lips. With its flat back it can be mounted on a wall.
Burmese heddle-pulleys are decorated with carvings of mythical or auspicious animals to provide protection and assure good quality weaving. A powerful ferocious Burmese Lion with open roaring mouth and thick main sits atop the pulley highlighting the area below where the weaving thread travels around the bobbin between the wood triangle pieces holding it. A fine folk art teak carving in excellent condition it is mounted on a metal pole on a black wood base.
This Nigerian Ibeji carving reflects Yoruba artistic and cultural conventions with oversized elongated heads where one’s spirit, intelligence and seat of divine power lie and large coiffures. With high rates of twin births with a high mortality rate, the Yoruba have a “twin cult” that honors deceased twin(s) with carved images. Mothers wash and clothe them daily and provide prayers, sacrifices and spiritual care. This unusual Ibeji is short and stocky with a simple tall hat rather than a plaited coiffeur. His bulging eyes have round indentations and his prominent lips are in slight smile and scarification of the Pele clan.
Javanese Wayang (puppet theater) Topeng (literally “pressed against the face” or mask) is a very refined dance form accompanied by gamelan music. In Bali Topeng tua is the charming dance…
This traditional Patih (minister) Keras (hard, strong, forceful) Balinese mask is deeply carved, and his huge red lips symbolize a tough, intense, easy to anger but powerful man in a position of prestige. Exaggerated facial elements of large bulging eyes, a powerful stare, huge, bright red lips and a thick animal hair/hide mustache indicate his internal strength as a trusted minister carrying out his king’s wishes. This mask was personally collected in Bali in the 1970s and is in excellent condition with minor scratches and losses consistent with age.
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