A late 19th century diamond pan from West Kalimantan, in the island of Borneo. At the heart of the Dayak territory, the rivers produced diamonds known for their singular colors. Holy men of this region used to say “Each diamond is a princess that must never be offended”, and for a long time, women were though to have the power to discover and extract them. For this, they used the pan - a conical instrument that allowed to separate sediment from diamonds due to its form. This large diamond pan was hand carved from a single piece of wood, and it's very well preserved for its age and use. Mounted in a black metal stand.