Showing 241–252 of 278 results
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 finely cast metalwork brass Shakyamuni Buddha reflects the conservative tradition of Nepalese sculpture which experienced few changes in proportion or decorative details over the past several hundred years. Originating stylistically from Gupta and later Pala Indian art, Nepalese artists created their unique style from the 6th-7th centuries that evolved to a distinctive physiognomy including…
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…
One of the three largest ethnic groups in Nigeria, Benin and Togo numbering over 20 million, Yoruba are among the most skilled African craftsmen. Traditional Yoruba religion has a complex hierarchy of deities comprised of a supreme creator with some 400 lesser gods and spirits. Having one of the world’s highest rates of twin births…
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…
This beautiful carving is too large to be a traditional dance mask, but is still a wonderful and fine folk art creation by an amazingly talented artisan. When it was collected in the 1970s, it was identified by the Balinese seller as Dayu or Dahyu, a high-caste Brahmana woman from the first Balinese caste. She…
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…
The Dayak (Dyak) people live on the Island of Kalimantan in the Indonesia part of Borneo and their hudoq masks are offerings to attract gods, ancestors and sacred rice spirits that assure the fertility of rice and protect villages. They are tribal, folk and ethnic objects that may not only worn on the face; they…
The religion of the ethnic Dayak (Dyak) people of Kalimantan (Borneo), Indonesia is a mix of animism, shamanism and ancestor worship. Their word hudoq describes three different things: it describes the pests that can destroy the rice harvest on which their survival depends; the name of the huge yearly Dyak planting celebration and the name…
The uniqueness of Ethiopian Crosses stems from influences of many ancient civilizations: Coptic, Celtic, Egyptian, Byzantine, Greek, and Latin. Axum-Crosses which are the most popular Ethiopian pendant crosses use geometric shapes, mostly squares or rectangles as their foundation, and are embellished with religious and apotropaic symbols. It is centered with a lattice pattern of a…
This vintage Ethiopian Cross from the Northern Ethiopian Highlands in Africa is a variant of a Coptic -cross referred to as an Axum -Cross where it was crafted. As the most popular Ethiopian pendant crosses they are embellished with religious and apotropaic symbols. This cross is divided into two components. The top has a square…
This vintage Ethiopian Cross from the Northern Ethiopian Highlands in Africa is a variant of a Coptic cross referred to as an Axum Cross where it was crafted. As the most popular Ethiopian pendant crosses they are embellished with religious and apotropaic symbols. The bottom section is a tri-partite design depicting the Trinity. Each of…
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