Ritual Bowl with Aso-Form Handle

Bahau or Modang Dayak, Borneo, Indonesia
19th c.

Provenance: Rodger Dashow Collection, Boston
Published: Indonesian Tribal Art, 2015, p. 252

Carved from dense ironwood, this striking ritual bowl embodies the Dayak synthesis of function and cosmology. The vessel itself is boldly hewn, its thick walls rising in a slightly flaring, asymmetrical form that emphasizes mass and presence. The surface bears a deep, lustrous black patina—built up through years of handling and exposure to oils and ritual substances—softening the tool marks while preserving the vitality of the carving beneath.

Projecting from the rim, the handle takes the form of a highly stylized aso—the mythic dragon-dog that occupies a central place in Dayak visual language. Its elongated, arcing snout, carved with openwork scrolls, doubles as a functional grip while animating the silhouette with movement and tension. The creature’s gaping jaws, lined with small, rhythmic teeth, and its prominent circular eye inset with a blue glass bead, lend the figure a charged, almost alert expression.

Height: 6 ¼ in / 15.9 cm