Hornbill Effigy
The most famous Iban native carving is the kenyalang, the hornbill effigy made for an elaborate festival celebrating high achievement. The real hornbill's basic outline is realistically observed, the bird has a disproportionately long, heavy beak, a squat body, and straight tail feathers about as long as the body.
The carved kenyalang's head and beak stretch forward, while the head is represented by scroll- work. The body portion is solid, to balance the two extremities. The tail is covered with decorations either of a symbolic or a very realistic kind. The whole piece is embellished with oil paint in many colors of the rainbow
.
|
