North Sumatra, Indonesia
Batak people
19th century
Carved bone or wood stopper, woven textile pouch
Height 6 1/2 in (16.5 cm)
Provenance: Zack Ziebarth, Horeb, Wisconsin
Among the Batak peoples of North Sumatra, medicine pouches known as pupuk containers served as vessels for protective substances prepared by a datu or ritual specialist, used in healing, protection, and the management of spiritual forces affecting the community. The carved stopper of this example features a compact human or spirit face with defined brow, eyes, and open mouth, following the Batak tradition of marking sacred containers with figural imagery that activated and protected the contents within. The face form is consistent with Batak carving conventions of the 19th century, in which protective vessels were given the presence of guardian spirits through figural decoration.
The textile pouch below the stopper is woven in a striped pattern with red and natural ground colors, consistent with Batak weaving traditions of North Sumatra. The combination of carved stopper and woven textile body reflects the composite material construction typical of Batak pupuk containers, in which different materials and making traditions were brought together into a single ritual object. Its provenance from Zack Ziebarth of Horeb, Wisconsin places it within the American private collection market for Indonesian ethnographic material.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
North Sumatra, Indonesia
Batak people
19th century
Carved bone or wood stopper, woven textile pouch
Height 6 1/2 in (16.5 cm)
Provenance: Zack Ziebarth, Horeb, Wisconsin
Among the Batak peoples of North Sumatra, medicine pouches known as pupuk containers served as vessels for protective substances prepared by a datu or ritual specialist, used in healing, protection, and the management of spiritual forces affecting the community. The carved stopper of this example features a compact human or spirit face with defined brow, eyes, and open mouth, following the Batak tradition of marking sacred containers with figural imagery that activated and protected the contents within. The face form is consistent with Batak carving conventions of the 19th century, in which protective vessels were given the presence of guardian spirits through figural decoration.
The textile pouch below the stopper is woven in a striped pattern with red and natural ground colors, consistent with Batak weaving traditions of North Sumatra. The combination of carved stopper and woven textile body reflects the composite material construction typical of Batak pupuk containers, in which different materials and making traditions were brought together into a single ritual object. Its provenance from Zack Ziebarth of Horeb, Wisconsin places it within the American private collection market for Indonesian ethnographic material.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
