This rare, richly ornamented portable medicine box (backpack) of Dayak origin was carried by generations of shamans throughout Borneo. Curious fetishes and many other artifacts were collected and tied to the exterior by over three generations of tribal healers (100-140 years).

Three of the sides are completely covered with one clear side that rested against the back.

The left side features seven figures including two with head dresses, an adult cat, a mother and child, a gourd/bottle stopper, and an anthropomorphic bull head with extensive tiny beading, including antique button, and animal claws.

The right side features an engraved ox horn containing four exotic bird feathers and four porcupine quills (additional bird feathers are tucked in elsewhere). The five figures include three with headdresses and two or more are clearly fashioned from branches.

The back features seven figures including a shaman with a Kris knife and a turtle-shaped backpack, a dark ebony figure with red cloth headdress and waistband with glass bead eyes, three gourd/bottle stoppers, and one female and one male “treasure” bearer.

All the figures are secured at the neck and feet by a rattan strand tied to braided six-strand rattan straps surrounding the top and bottom.

Strung along the perimeter of the top band are seven coins of Dutch origin ranging from 1864 to 1945. If the earliest coin was affixed when new, the backpack would be 143 years old.

The carrying straps consist of 2mm braided six-strand rattan (about 5/8 inch wide) secured at the top and decorated with two hand cast bronze bells at each corner.

The pyramid-shaped lid is a single free-standing piece decorated with braided rattan. There are small remnants of tiny beading still inside the box. This rare, complex tribal art is in excellent condition and a terrific acquisition for the serious tribal art collector or shaman-in-training.

This highly detailed 3-dimensional relief carving is one single piece of pine. It is at least 500 years old and would have been prominently displayed within a Chinese temple. It features a pheasant on the left and two dragons on the right turning away from each other to symbolize Yin and Yang. A pheasant with the dragon represents the bird and animal kingdoms and thus the entire natural world.

Dragons have many meanings in China, but were often used as a symbol of imperial power.