Dayak Bidayuh Ceremonial Dance Mask

Dayak Bidayuh Ceremonial Dance Mask

This Dayak Bidayuh ceremonial dance mask presents a powerful and expressive human visage, carved in a bold, sculptural style that emphasizes spiritual presence over naturalism. The face is broad and slightly flattened, with strong geometric planes that give it a commanding, almost ancestral authority.

The forehead and crown are painted in deep matte black, forming a cap-like field that contrasts sharply with the lighter face below. A pale horizontal band across the brow frames the hollowed eye openings, heightening the mask’s intense, inward gaze. The eyes are narrow and elongated, cut cleanly through the wood, allowing the wearer to see while maintaining the mask’s austere, otherworldly expression.

A prominent, angular nose projects sharply from the face, carved in a triangular ridge that divides the composition vertically. Below, the mouth is partially open, revealing individually carved, block-like teeth set within dark red lips. This exposed dentition is typical of protective or spirit-representing masks, suggesting a being that is both human and supernatural. The slightly parted jaw gives the face a tense, animated quality, as if caught mid-chant or ritual breath.

Subtle traces of white and grey pigment wash across the cheeks and lower face, creating a weathered, ash-like patina. The layered paint and visible tool marks indicate repeated handling and use, consistent with masks worn in performance rather than made solely for display. The simplified ears, carved close to the head, reinforce the mask’s solid, monolithic character.

Among the Bidayuh of Sarawak, such masks are associated with ritual dance, agricultural rites, and spirit-invoking ceremonies, where performers embody ancestral or guardian beings.

H – 29 x 21 x 14 cm / 698 g

Price include shipping worldwide by DHL .

Stand is not included in the listing as for photography purpose only.