Guardian figure "patong polisi", 18th century or earlier ·  Indonesia - Borneo, Iban-Dayak · ID: 3053738

Description

ironwood, traces of weathering, pigments, base

This impressive guardian figure is one of the characteristic “hampatong”, large wooden statues of the indigenous peoples of Borneo. Known as “patong polisi”, such figures were placed near the entrances to the Iban-Dayak longhouses and were believed to ward off enemies and malevolent spirits through their magical powers.

The arms outstretched at the sides are a characteristic feature of this type of figure. As they were carved separately and attached, fully preserved examples are rare. The unusually dense, expressive carving of the ironwood and the upright, watchful posture lend the figure a particularly monumental presence.

The term “patong polisi”, literally “police statue”, was coined by dealers and collectors and refers to the protective powers attributed to them. The figures are also frequently associated with ancestral beliefs and thus exist within a religious and social context that extends beyond their mere function as guardians.

Comparing literature

Murray, Thomas, C-14 Dating of Dayak Art, o.O. 2015, ill. 18 Feldman, Jerome, The Eloquent Dead, Los Angeles 1985, p. 40, ill. 7