Rare 16th C. Indonesian Wood Royal Seat, Carbon Dated

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Connoisseur's Delight Fine Art & Antiquities

By Artemis Gallery

Jun 27, 2024

Set Reminder 2024-06-27 11:00:00 2024-06-27 11:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Connoisseur's Delight Fine Art & Antiquities https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/connoisseurs-delight-fine-art-antiquities-16181
Classical antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art from cultures encompassing the globe. Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com

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• Lot Description
  Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Borneo, Dayak peoples, ca. 16th century CE (C14 Tested). A carved wooden seat or throne, most certainly for the use of a royal child. With a curved half- basket shape, crescent seat, and on both ends there are drilled holes and carved loops for attaching straps so the seat could be worn like a backpack or carried through the use of attached ropes. The fact that this wood carving has survived for nearly 500 years in this condition is remarkable - the wet, humid climate of Borneo is not conducive for preserving wooden artifacts. This piece was radiocarbon dated to confirm the age. This is a dense and heavy wooden example with ornate carvings, suggesting this served a soci182782s determined what symbols and motifs they could use - full figured beings, as seen carved here, were reserved for the highest classes. Size: 12" L x 7" W x 12" H (30.5 cm x 17.8 cm x 30.5 cm)
  
  Again, we cannot stress enough the age and condition of this piece. Before we had this test, we believed this wood could not be older than 150 to 200 years maximum, so when the test indicated about 500 years ago, we were shocked! For those unfamiliar with carbon dating, in simplest terms the test measures the carbon once a thing has died - for example, this test shows the time period when the tree was cut down (to be clear, this is not the age of the tree!)
  
  The shamans, chieftains, and their close relatives were the aristocrats of Dayak society and only people of this high class could use anthropomorphic carvings to protect themselves, middle classes could use demon or animal depictions, and the lowest could only use geometric abstract designs. Carving the same exact patterns would nullify the power of the spirits, so these baby carriers had to be unique, and while some share similar motifs, none are identical. Siblings or new generations of the same family could use the carrier, but the carrier was not to be used by anyone outside of the family for similar spiritual reasons. Additional objects such as shells, beads, and animal teeth were added to the basket as ornaments to decorate and infuse power and protection; the rattling and noises made by hitting the wood was also believed to drive away evil. While functional transport, these carriers were much more than that and important heirlooms that conveyed the importance and wealth of lineages. To this day very few 3 dimensional objects have been found that where not the end pieces of Sargophagi. Objects of this type have been sold in Europe for $150000-250000 by well known art dealers
  
  This piece has been tested using radiocarbon dating (C-14) analysis and has been found to be ancient and of the period stated. A full report will accompany purchase.
  
  Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection, acquired from 2000 to 2010
  
  All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
  
  A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
  
  We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.
  
  #180726

  Condition

  Old losses to throughout, missing areas of the carved panel and chips to rim. Repaired with adhesive. Seat is reattached with visible break lines at the base of the vertical carved panel. Pressure fissures throughout and surface wear. Wood is aged and weathered.
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