The Mentawai tribes remain one of the most isolated populations on the planet. Some still live a neolithic, hunter-gather lifestyle in the rain-forest and do not use a written language. Shaman, or sikerei, are intrinsic to daily life and considered leaders, although they are an egalitarian society. The classic Hindu, Buddhist and Muslim themes common to most of Indonesia are not part of the Mentawai belief system which is wholly based in nature. In their philosophy, objects are not things...

Borneo, home of the Dayak tribes is one of the largest islands in Indonesia, and is of volcanic origin. Their ancient belief system, like that across most of Indonesia, is Animistic – the belief that they are descendants of a bird/dragon/serpent. This is visually represented by the pervasive motifs in their art. Shaman are intrinsic to Dayak religion. They bring together the spirit world, the mortal world, and the underworld and thus serve to maintain the balance of life, protecting...

Sumatra is one island in the SE Asian chain of 17,ooo islands that make up Indonesia. The cultures specific to different islands have long been isolated from one another resulting is significant diversity. It is therefore helpful to organize the following Indonesian descriptions into major sub-groupings. Please browse through the following posts: Sumatra (Batak tribes), Borneo (Dayak tribes), Mentawai, and the Lesser Sunda Islands of Sumba, Flores, Timor and Lombok, among others to get the entirety of Indonesia.Sumatra: One of...

Essential to the shamanic traditions of the Vietnamese is the ability to read and write Chinese. A requisite, extensive knowledge of Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, Animism and Ancestor worship make the shaman’s training a long and rigorous process. They must draw on a complex base of philosophies and abilities which include the use of scroll paintings, ritual texts, and prints. The shaman use a collection of specific objects and instruments to aid them in entering the realm of the spirits. They...

The Naga people are a collection of 35+ tribes, or about 3.5 million people, who live in the hills of Nagaland, India and in the bordering country of Myanmar. Their beliefs are animistic and shamanism is a respected, integral part of everyday life.Shaman Effigy, Nagaland, India, Naga tribe, Early 20th c, Wood, pigment, shell This figure was used in healing rituals and probably for connecting to ancestor spirits. There are seven creature images on the backside. The creature depictions are...

Nepal is home to many ethnic groups and religious traditions including Hinduism and Buddhism. Shamanism combines these religions with the worship of nature and natural phenomenon. There is a unique village, called “Lugum”, in Western Nepal whose only inhabitants, at the time of this writing, are 126 shaman – 18 of whom are women. In addition to their role as healers and intermediaries between the mortal and spiritual worlds, is a duty to protect the larger community around them from...

Shamanic Culture, Tribal Art, Healing and Magic converge in an unmatched, museum quality collection of over 300 shaman pieces from across SE Asia. We had an opening extravaganza to debut the rare amulets, instruments and costumes, acquired over the last 15 years. It took months to research the individual pieces that represent many different, ancient healing cultures from South East Asia – Nepal, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, Nagaland (India) and across the 17,000 Islands of Indonesia. Some of the pieces have...

We are excited to share a custom slab table concept we’ve been working on. The idea started after seeing a very rare and obscure cross section of Bastogne walnut that friends of ours have had in storage.Knowing that this piece would never be a table without combining materials we started daydreaming about the possibilities.After a series of sketches we came up with the size and round shape you see below.After narrowing down the shape of the slab we started daydreaming...

Shamanism is a fascinating subject. Reaching far back into prehistory, the quest to cure the ailing and ensure our survival gave rise to its development. It is deeply rooted in *animism and appears as such in virtually all societies around the globe. The striking similarities in beliefs and rituals throughout so many different cultures make it an intriguing and mysterious phenomena from the modern western perspective.http://davidbardwick.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/David%20Alan%20Shaman%20Show.mp4Regarding the world of the unknown, Albert Einstein truly observed, “The most beautiful thing we...

Antique Millet Beer MugsA Tibetan mug or vessel for a traditional, indigenous, hot, alcoholic beer-like drink called Jaand.These ‘beer tea’ mugs are made of sections of mature bamboo. The inner nodes are carved out and often ringed with metal bands on the exterior. The cover or lid keeps the Jaand hot and has a small hole to stabilize the fine bamboo straw used to filter the grainy drink.Our collection of Tongbas are beautifully worn and patinated pieces of Nepalese ethnic...

2000 Year Old Coins – Necklaces by David Alan Designs. Part of ‘David Alan Designs’ signature style is to incorporate antiquity into wearable art. This post highlights 17 recently completed necklaces featuring beautifully patinated Kushan copper coins set in sterling silver to create beautifully elegant yet casual necklaces. We invite you to come browse the drawers in our jewelry gallery to view the collection these new creations and thousands of other one-of-a-kind handmade jewelry pieces by David Alan Designs. History...

Japanese Cha Dansu “Tea cabinet”, late 1800’s – early 1900’s When this Late 19th century Japanese cha-dansu (tea chest) arrived on a recent shipment from Kyoto, one of our sales associates immediately tagged it “sold” in their name and set it aside until time presented an opportunity for further inspection. When the time came, investigation revealed the top center drawer was jammed, unable to be opened. With careful coercion the source of the jam was divulged which only compounded the...