A Precious Package for a Precious Bundle – Dayak Baby Carrier

One more precious carrier for a precious baby!

Over a dozen types of trade beads, some extremely fine, some multicolored, some from one of the 3 groups of mutisalah beads, some tiger bells, some cowrie shells of the type favored by the Maloh group, some double-lobed red seeds, animal teeth, some micro beads, some Chinese coins…… and and and

It will take me days to understand this piece!

Antique Baby Carrier from the Upper Mahakam region of Borneo

And howsoever precious these carriers may be for their art, age and rarity, none is as precious as the cargo that traveled in them!

A big salute to the babies that bring out so much love in the women that they produce art as great as this!

jm

Jan 2016

More photos of this beautiful piece can be seen here on wovensouls.com

A superb article on ba or baby carriers here.

The English is proficiency is not great, but it is certainly much much better than my proficiency in their language!!

antique maloh Dayak Baby Carrier borneo