Borneo Dayak Mendalam Shaman Staff

Borneo Dayak Mendalam Shaman Staff

This ceremonial staff hails from the Dayak Mendalam people of Borneo, renowned for their deep-rooted animist beliefs and intricate ritual traditions. Crafted as a sacred object for shamans (balian or dukun), the staff is used in healing, protection, and communication with the spirit world.

Materials & Construction:

• Modular Build: The staff is crafted from two separate pieces of lightweight wood, expertly joined together—likely for ease of transport through the rainforest or for ritual assembly. This joinable feature reflects a practical and symbolic gesture of duality and unity: the earthly and the spiritual.

• Top Adornments:

  • Goat Horns: Real goat horns crown the staff, invoking animal spirits and symbolizing strength and primal energy.

  • Fiber Hair: Surrounding the top is coarse natural fiber hair, enhancing its wild, mystical presence and possibly symbolizing ancestral or jungle spirits.

  • Cowrie Shell Eyes: The main figure’s eyes are inlaid with cowrie shells, widely used in tribal cultures for protection and spiritual insight. Cowries are also associated with fertility, wealth, and the watchful gaze of spirits.

Carving Details:

• Top Figure: A dramatic, expressive face with bared teeth and bulging eyes represents a powerful spirit or the shaman in trance. Above it rests a calm, human-like face, hinting at the shaman’s dual role as both a mediator and a vessel for higher forces.

• Mid to Lower Section: The shaft is adorned with a stacked sequence of carved human faces and partial figures, each distinct in expression and posture. These figures likely represent:

  • Ancestral spirits

  • Protective entities

  • Past shamans or spiritual guides

Some figures clasp their hands, hold ritual objects, or appear mid-gesture, emphasizing the staff’s role as a visual narrative of spiritual lineage.

Cultural Significance:

More than a tool, this staff serves as a spiritual antenna, channeling the forces of nature and ancestors into the shaman’s work. Every material element—from horn to shell to wood—reflects the Dayak worldview of balance and respect between human, nature, and spirit.

H – 177 x 18 x 15 cm  / 1.75 kg

(Item come is 2 pc 102cm and 78 cm )

price include shipping by air mail worldwide.