Featured Carved Wooden “Bookends” ??

***Not sure where to post this…feel free to move!!**

My Mom is currently using these as bookends. She got them from her mother-in-law. They have a bit of that “crude roadside souvenir” vibe but they seem a bit oldish as well. Also, the open circles carved in the back of these seem like they may be purposeful….I’m just not sure so any help would be appreciated!
Thank You!

 

They remind me of Maluku (or Moluccas, Indonesia) ancestor figures, although I have never seen one with his head in his hands.

Maybe @2manybooks or @Taupou has an idea?

 

Perhaps Filipino Ifugao 'bululs':

https://uw.pressbooks.pub/criticalfilipinxamericanhistories/chapter/chelsea-daugard/




https://reflect.ucl.ac.uk/2018-basc0004-group5/powerful-depictions/




https://www.tribalmania.com/store/p...e_Ladle,_Standing_Bulul_w/_Arms_on_Face!.html




~Cheryl

 

Love them !

 

They remind me of bululs, too. More often they are depicted with crossed arms, but head in hands sometimes appears.
http://www.philippine-bululs.com/

In this case, I think these were made for sale as bookends, using traditional motifs.

Here are a couple of other Ifugao carvings that show similar figures:

http://www.philippine-artifacts.com/ART84.htm


http://www.philippine-artifacts.com/ART146.htm

 

They look nice as bookends.

 

I agree…still wondering what the holes are for though…strange!

 

Just to share, this is my mid 20th century Ifugao dipper/ladle with squatting male bulul, not near as nice as the earlier one I posted above, but does have a really cool hand cradling the bowl:







And my wooden spoons are packed away, so only have this really crummy image of my 1950s female standing bulul, she's simple but rather sweet:




~Cheryl

 

I agree.Strange. I still wonder if they really are bookends.

 

I found a very interesting book online I do not have in my fairly extensive pre-WWII collection of Filipino books .....

Ifugao Law (gutenberg.org)

Some great pictures at the end... I was thinking Funeral chair but I think not ...they are interesting ....almost like they were linked carrying poles for two levels of books....... possibly tourist items.....

Dan