Iban Dayak Mask of Indai Guru
Iban Dayak people, Sarawak, Malaysia
Late 19th to early 20th century
Wood, dammar resin, lime and black pigment
This is a mask of Indai Guru', a female spirit who the Iban people believe lurks in lofts and in the far reaches of the Longhouse. An older female would wear the mask at the end of a ceremonial cycle or when a guest arrvies from a far-away place in a theatrical performance.
This is an exceptionally skillfully executed example.
See 'Eyes of the Ancestors. The Arts of Island Southeast Asia at the Dallas Museum of Art', (New Haven and London, pp. 144-145 for a similar example.
Inventory no. 6569
Price on request