Borneo Mask

Borneo

Borneo

Borneo is the largest island of the great Malaysian archipelago that stretches eastward from Southeast Asia to the western tip of New Guinea. Shamans (witch-doctors) used similar masks for various healing rituals. When an illness befalls one of the members of the tribes it is believed that his "soul is lost". The Shaman goes into a trance and, using masks and other ritual paraphernalia, attempts to recapture the wandering soul. If the soul cannot be caught and restored to the body, the victim may die. Similar artifacts were placed outside houses entrances to scare evil spirits away from the household. The closed eyes of this mask symbolize a contemplative expression of peaceful rest. Nature is symbolized with the sun symbol tattoos arranged symmetrically on cheeks and forehead.

To this day and age many forms of mask are being originated from these isles, the originality of each item is still kept through since each one differs from the other, but their meaning and use has gone through various alterations. Replicas of these masks are being sold as tourists souvenirs.

Wood

Height : 39″ (99.1cm)