DAYAK Figurine - Borneo - Indonesia - Circa 1900- 1920

Lovely old hand carved Dayak NGAJU Ancestral Tribal Figure standing 10" in height.....believed to date to the early part of the 20th century. The Dayak or Dyak /ˈdaɪ.ək/ are the native people of Borneo. The name DAYAK is a loose term for over 200 riverine and hill-dwelling ethnic subgroups, located principally in the interior of Borneo, each with its own dialect, customs, laws, territory and culture, although common distinguishing traits are readily identifiable. Dayak languages are categorised as part of the Austronesian languages in Asia. The Dayak were animist in belief. Many however, converted to Christianity, and some to Islam more recently. Estimates for the Dayak population range from 2 to 4 million. The NGAJU are a large tribal group in Central Borneo.