1890.] 
A  Strange  Wooden  Object. 
15 
struction,  is  in  the  Museum  of  Leyclen.1)  It  is  from  Sumbawa,  and 
is  said  to  be  a  pillow  for  the  head  (Nackenschemel).  It  resembles, 
according  to  Mr.  Schmeltz,  a  kincl  of  roughly  made  bench  or 
chair,  which  is  used  by  the  market-sellers  and  travelling  dealers  in 
food  in  Java.  Whether  these  last  are  also  made  from  a  single 
block  of  wood  I  am  not  aware. 
The  circumstance  that  those  articles  have  servecl  different  pur- 
poses, and  that  they  are  therefore  not  made  for  a  particular  prac- 
tical  use,  appears  to  favour  the  view,  that  also  in  these  there 
Fig.  10  &  11.    Petails  of  the  same. 
lies  some  symbolical  signification  which  has  determined  their  con- 
struction. 
That  monoxylons  are  really  used  in  a  mystical  sense.  may  be 
gatherecl  from  the  consideration  of  some  amulets  in  the  magnificent 
collection  of  cult-objects  from  the  Amur  country,  which  the 
Museum  fur  Volkerkuncle  in  Berlin  has  obtained  through  Captain 
Jacobsen.    Mr.  A.  Woldt2)  has  published  several  of  these  e.  g. 
x)  J.  D.  E.  Schmeltz:  Ueber  Chinesische  Nackenschemel,  i  Int.  Arch.  f. 
Ethn.  Vol.  II,  pag.  164. 
2)  A.  Woldt:  Die  Kultusgegenstande  der  G-olden  und  Griljaken,  i  Int.  Arch. 
f.  Ethn.  I,  92.    Pl.  VI  a  fig.  6,  13,  17  and  31. 
