Borneo Dayak Wood Ancestral Figure, Hampatong Guardian (Auction 2026-06-05, Lot 153)

$449.75

Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Borneo, Dayak peoples, ca. 19th to early 20th century CE. A weathered wooden post carved with a Hampatong figure, an ancestral and protective guardian spirit, shown seated atop a cylindrical base with expressive facial features and openwork limbs. Hampatong figures were traditionally placed outside longhouses or along village paths to ward off harmful forces, embodying the presence and vigilance of revered ancestors. Such figures also played an important role in ceremonies like the Tiwah, safeguarding the soul of the deceased as it traveled toward the afterlife. Size: 5.25″ W x 15.5″ H (13.3 cm x 39.4 cm)

Provenance: private Rogers, Arkansas, USA collection; ex-Bosio collection, Miami, Florida, USA, 1960-2000

Condition: Weathering to wood with stable fissures and splintering. Old loss to right leg, and repairs with large pieces reattached to the verso. Stable condition with nice patina.