Wooden Calendar

Iban Dayak, West Borneo, Indonesia
19th-early 20th c.

Provenance: Rodger Dashow collection, Boston. By descent to family member.
Published: “Indonesian Tribal Art”. 2015, pg. 237. 

This intricately carved wooden calendar originates from the Dayak people of Borneo. Traditionally used to mark lunar cycles, agricultural seasons, and important ritual dates, such calendars functioned more as symbolic and mnemonic timekeeping devices than literal chronological tools. They embody the Dayak worldview, in which time is interwoven with cosmology, ancestral presence, and the rhythms of nature.

Carved from belian (ironwood)—a sacred and exceptionally durable material—the surface is adorned with elaborate motifs, often depicting ancestral figures, animals, and celestial symbols. These carvings were not merely decorative; they held profound spiritual meaning and served as mnemonic aids for ritual specialists and community elders.

What makes this example particularly compelling is its large size and sculptural depth and dual-sided composition. Each side features a unique design, offering visually distinct yet thematically connected imagery.

At the base, an old native repair adds further depth to its story: a split in the wood has been carefully stitched back together using rattan fiber, a traditional method that reflects both resourcefulness and reverence for the object. The darkened, well-worn surface, patinated by years of ritual handling, speaks to its long life in ceremonial use.

Rare and culturally resonant, this Dayak calendar is not only a tool of timekeeping but a finely carved vessel of memory, myth, and community identity.