A LARGE WOOD FIGURE, HAMPATONG, DAYAK PEOPLE, IBAN TRIBE, 19TH TO EARLY 20TH CENTURY

Borneo, Indonesia. The tall figure seated with the hands resting on the thighs, seated on a high stool, looking straight ahead. The oval face with deeply carved, wide almond-shaped eyes.

Natural weathering, erosion, and exposure have given this fascinating sculpture a completely unique appearance that creates a striking, almost haunting atmosphere and leaves the viewer ruminating on its philosophical implications yet captivated by its undeniable energy.

Provenance: Valentine Willie Fine Art, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 1998. A noted French private collection, acquired from the above, and thence by descent. A copy of an invoice from Valentine Willie Fine Art dated 10 March 1998 accompanies this lot. Valentine Willie was born in Sandakan, Malaysia, to a carpenter and lumberjack. He attended school in the UK as a young boy, eventually earning a degree in law at University College London. He returned to Borneo to practice law, and began collecting native tribal art. His gallery grew to prominence as he combined native tribal art with local contemporary art, attracting a wide swath of artists, collectors and dealers alike.
Condition: Extensive wear, signs of weathering and erosion, age cracks and splits, warping, signs of insect activity, losses, presenting very well.

Weight: 11.7 kg (incl. stand)
Dimensions: Height 91 cm (incl. stand) 87.5 cm (excl. stand)

Mounted to a wood stand.

The Iban are part of the original inhabitants of Borneo and are a tribal division of the Dayak people of the island. In colonial times they were referred to as ‘Sea Dayaks’ by the British due to their proximity to the coastline, but as time passed the tribes moved further inland. The Iban were renowned for tribal and territorial expansion, and this created many enemies for them. One such enemy was the Kayan tribe who referred to them as ‘Hivan’, which slowly developed linguistically into the tribe’s name, Iban.

Before Western influences began to impact their lifestyles, the Iban were known as one of the most fearsome and successful warring tribes in the area. Like the Ngadju and Ot Danum tribes, the Iban live along the inland sections of several of the rivers that drain into the coast of Borneo. The tribes of Borneo commonly erected human or animal figures near the entrances to their dwellings and along footpaths leading from their villages to the river. Known collectively as hampatong, some figures portray ancestors and other supernatural guardians who prevent dangerous spirits, particularly those bringing sickness, from entering the community.

Literature comparison:
Compare a related wood hampatong, 180 cm high, dated 19^th to early 20^th century, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 1988.124.3.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Bonhams New York, 20 November 2012, lot 247
Price: USD 6,250 or approx. EUR 8,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: Kontu (Kantu) Dayak ancestral figure, west Kalimantan, Borneo
Expert remark: Compare the closely related manner of carving and material with similar weathering and erosion. Note the different size (170 cm).

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby’s Paris, 22 February 2023, lot 8
Price: EUR 5,080 or approx. EUR 5,200 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A Hampatong Dayak figure, Kalimantan, Borneo, Indonesia
Expert remark: Compare the closely related manner of carving and material with similar weathering and erosion. Note the similar size (112 cm).