Awl

Bahau Dayak, Borneo, Indonesia
19th-early 20th c.

Provenance: Rodger Dashow collection, Boston. By descent to family member

Stylized, abstracted, and full of movement—this awl from the Bahau Dayak people of Borneo is far more than a utilitarian object. Carved from wood and imbued with ancestral presence, it embodies a visual language deeply rooted in the spiritual world. Contorted postures and fragmented limbs—motifs common in Dayak visual traditions—are not merely artistic flourishes; they echo the forces of protection, transformation, and sacred power.

Used in daily life for piercing, weaving, and ritual crafting, the awl is both a practical instrument and a cultural vessel. In skilled hands, it helps create ceremonial textiles or baskets, binding together the visible and invisible threads of Dayak life. But even in its stillness, the awl pulses with meaning—its form shaped not just by function but by a belief system where objects are alive, inhabited, and active.

Symbols carved into its surface—whether human, animal, or spirit—signal metamorphosis and spiritual guardianship. These forms often represent tutelary ancestors, invoked to protect the user and channel spiritual potency. The asymmetry and exaggerated motion speak to a world where boundaries between material and metaphysical are fluid—where tools are also talismans.