Iban Dayak Trophy Human Skull with Cowrie Shells

Iban Dayak people, early to mid. 20th century, Central Kalimantan, Borneo, Indonesia.

Mesmerizing aged Iban-Dayak trophy human skull. Cowrie shells cover the eyes and large cowrie shells tassels sewn onto a woven tree bark fibre net is wrapped through the zygomatic arch on either side, covering the head. The Dayaks are a collection ethnic groups that have traditionally lived in the forests in both the Malaysian and Indonesian sides of Borneo. In the past, the Dayak were feared for their ancient tradition of headhunting practises (the ritual is known as Ngayau). 

Though living along the banks of the larger rivers that convenient for fishing and hunting, most Dayak village economies in Central Kalimantan are based on agriculture. Dayaks have traditionally lived in villages with multifamily dwelling, often including longhouses. This is a structure supported by hardwood posts that can be hundreds meter long. At one side is a long communal platform, from which the individual households can be reached. In Indonesia, the Dayak indigenous religion has been given the name Kaharingan. The word means something like "way of the life", and this belief system includes a concept of many deities and often one supreme deity

The Ibans (called also Sea Dayaks) are a branch of the Dayak people and are located in the Malaysian state of Sarawak. Ibans were also renowned for practicing headhunting and had a fearsome reputation as a strong and successful warring tribe. Since the arrival of Europeans and the subsequent colonisation of the area, headhunting gradually faded out practise. Skulls from headhunting raids have traditionally been displayed in longhouses. Some longhouses today still have heads hanging from the ceiling as relics of their glorious past. The most recent ones are probably Japanese heads taken in World War II. 

Absolutely stunning Iban trophy skull are in excellent condition. Lower jaw missing. Age-related wear and signs of use and handling over many years. Gorgeous shiny dark brown patina. Size approx. 15,5cm x 14,0cm x 16,0cm. Modern stand included.

Provenance: Dutch private collection. 

References and further reading:

Who invented the Dayaks?: historical case studies in art, material culture and ethnic identity from Borneo, Dianne Margaret Tillotson, Thesis, The Australian National University, 1994. (https://openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au/handle/1885/116158)

Of Jars and Gongs: Two Keys to Ot Danum Dayak Cosmology, Raymond Corbey, C. Zwartenkot Art Books, 2016.

The Airmen and the Headhunters: A True Story of Lost Soldiers, Heroic Tribesmen and the Unlikeliest Rescue of World War II, Judith M. Heimann, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009.

Dayak Architecture and Art: The Use of Longhouse, Kaltimber, 20 July 2020. (https://www.kaltimber.com/blog/2020/7/20/dayak-architecture-and-art-the-use-of-longhouse)