SYMBOLS OF PROTECTION

This stunning set of wooden statues was carved by hand by local artisans on the islands of Kalimantan and Sumba in Indonesia, made as per ancient techniques.

 For centuries Patung Pagar, the taller statues, were made to evoke protection and guidance in honour of Kaharingan, the main, animist religion of the local tribe Dayak until the 1900’s. The Dayaks are the native people of Borneo, with its first independent kingdom as early as the 12th century. Besides being skillful farmers, craftsmen and hunters, they were once also one of the most feared warrior tribes in Southeast Asia.

 The shorter statues called Kaduma were carved with a human form in honour of the Marapu (ancestral spirits). The human figure is an invitation for the Marapu to move inside the statue to protect and guide its owner through life. Marapu is the animistic/ancestral religion practiced in Sumba, and its spirits are believed to be the occupants of the eternal heaven, living in couples and leading a similar existence to men. One of these couples are believed to be the ancestor of the Sumbanese.

The set comes complete with blackened metal stands and its story printed out for you inside a beautiful envelope. Being artisan crafted each piece is slightly different and each has natural, visible cracks as beautiful signs of the aging of the wood.

Heights: Kaduma: ca 78 and 90cm with the stands, Patung pagar: ca 145, 155 and 160cm with the stands.

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