Dayak Ritual Cup / Libation Cup

Dayak Ritual Cup / Libation Cup

Origin: Borneo, Indonesia
Tribe: Dayak
Material: Hardwood with dark aged patina
Dimensions: H – 45 x 11 x 9 cm
Weight: 952 g

This finely carved wooden ritual cup originates from the Dayak people of Borneo, known for their deep spiritual connection to the natural and ancestral world. The vessel features an elongated, tapering body that rises gracefully into a carved head with exaggerated facial features — bulging eyes, a pronounced jaw, and slightly open mouth revealing teeth — symbolizing a spirit or ancestral being.

The interior of the cup is hollowed and darkened from use, suggesting its function in ritual libations, offerings, or ancestral communion ceremonies. Such cups were often used to pour or hold sacred liquids — rice wine, blood, or water — as an offering to spirits during healing, initiation, or protection rites.

The stylized form, simple yet expressive, reflects the Dayak aesthetic of merging functionality with spiritual symbolism. The elongated neck may represent the link between the human and spiritual realms, a bridge through which offerings and prayers could reach the ancestors.

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