Funeral sculptures of the Jrai people in the Central Highlands, Vietnam

This paper aims to classify the funeral sculptures of the Jrai people in the Central Highlands, Vietnam. Using a method that combines documentary research, fieldwork, and comparison, it expands previous general studies by providing a clear assessment of this folk art. There are representative wooden statues in the grave houses of the Jrai Arap, the Jrai Chon, the Jrai T’buăn, the Jrai Chor, and the Jrai Mthur analyzed to figure out the difference in form. Therefore, the findings in this paper could be used not only for a more complete classification and introduction of artifacts in current museums, but also for the restoration and development of Jrai sculpture in future. Keywords. Funeral sculpture, the Jrai people, folkarts, the Central Highlands of Vietnam.