The Dayak Handicraft Centre in central Samarinda brings together craft goods from communities across the Mahakam valley: blowpipes, mandau (traditional Dayak machetes), hand-carved wooden masks, rattan baskets, beaded jewellery, and woven textiles. Most items here have come downriver with traders or are sold on consignment by community cooperatives.
The quality and authenticity of goods varies considerably. The most reliable indicators of genuine craft work are the irregularities of handmade production — slight variations in pattern, the smell of natural dyes, the weight of solid wood or carved bone. Mass-produced copies exist but are visibly inferior. A knowledgeable seller will be able to tell you which community made a piece and explain the symbolism of the designs. If they cannot, treat the item as decorative rather than culturally significant.