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Detail Views
A rare old, nicely weathered wooden guardian
figure from the Jajarkot area of West Nepal. Such guardian
figures were placed at shamanic shrines, springs, bridges and
cross roads where they assumed the duty of fending off
malevolent entities and other dangers, which tend to congregate
in such areas. This one is an example of the "bacha bokne", or
child carrying, genre of primitive wooden figures. The hands are shown
with the palms together in the "namaskar" gesture of reverence
and greeting. The face is primitively carved with terse, angular
lines. The figure is rendered in a crouching squat - and this
position with a baby bundled on the back, with mother squatting
in a moment of ease and rest is a common sight across the middle
hills, and in that sense the figure is "one of their own" - a
familiar, and friendly guardian met at the spring or while
crossing a bridge.
Those with more than a passing familiarity
with tribal art will note the similarity of these Nepalese
primitive wooden figures to similar pieces from the Indonesian
Archipelago, some areas of Oceania, and a strong semblance to
the Ifugao Bulul and Luzon Anito figures of the Philippines.
These types of cross cultural parallels among peoples separated
by vast geographic distances are very interesting. It brings to
mind the concept of subconscious archetypes that are an innate
psychological component of humanity, and which therefore reveal
themselves with only minor variation amongst groups separated in
both time and space. I think this is why so many of us are
attracted to tribal / primitive art - it strikes a very deep
chord within our being. We connect with our common humanity, and
sense something closer to essence - uncorrupted by generations
of urban domestication and an overdeveloped material environment
- the "affliction of comfort" so many of us in the west are
stricken with. We catch a glimpse of our own reflection, but an
untamed and raw likeness, that refreshes and invigorates us.
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| ITEM NAME: |
Primitive
wood figure |
| ITEM CODE: |
HMR-48 |
| PRICE: |
Email |
| SHIPPING: |
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| STATUS: |
SOLD |
| PEOPLE/REGION: |
Far west
Nepal |
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MATERIALS: |
Wood |
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AGE: |
early to mid 20th c |
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SIZE: |
17" high X
7"
wide |
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