Peacock Jorai Or Mnong Vietnam

Peacock Mnong Vietnam Jaraï ritual statues are mostly funerary and kept in enclosures. They are carved in very hard woods under the name of Taeng in countries like Malaysia. This wood is as hard as mahogany. It is yellow or quite red, but as it ages it becomes gray. The rain will gradually erode the wood. The dominant themes found in these statuaries are: "the mourners", who, as their name suggests, mourn their deceased ancestors. They are represented crouching, elbows on their knees and holding their heads. There are also men and women represented with attributes reflecting their past life, for example soldiers with a colonial helmet or a kepi, or even women. The bird is also a recurring theme, it allows the living to get in touch with the spirits. The funeral enclosures are outside and closed by palisades. At the four corners, mourners are present, then the other statues of deceased ancestors. Bird sculptures, similar to peacocks, can also be found in front of the tombs of the Mnong people, and Jorai and Mnong sculptures are therefore often confused. The main difference between them is that Mnong peacocks normally sit on elephant tusks (carved from wood), while Jorai birds sit directly on the posts. Here we have a peacock with an egret. This is a Jorai funerary post (jarai), Tai Nguyen Highlands Vietnam 1st half of 20th century. There are two types of birds among these funerary posts: peacocks and herons. This one is extremely patinated and eroded like the Sakalava, a rather rare detail for Jorai birds which are generally quite rough because they are made with rudimentary tools. It was acquired in the 90s by a renowned collector from the Daroun gallery in Belgium. Provenance Ex Pierre Denhaive collection in Belgium (see: Artcurial sale, June 17, 2014)