Specifications

• Height: 51 cm
• Material: wood, plant fibre (ijuk)
• Position: standing
• Gender: male
• Indigenous name: pangulubalan
• Price realised: € 9.600,-

Provenance

Private collection, Antwerp; Dorotheum Vienna 18-2-2020, lot 13.

Publications

Ref,: Sibeth, Achim & Bruce Carpenter (2007), Batak Sculpture

Additional information

Alarm figure, see refernce book p. 159 ‘functioned literally as sounding boards which would be struck with a beater to alert the village in the event of intrusion or disaster. (….) have large wooden plugs to seal in the deposits of pupuk. The pupuk is inserted into areas considered to be centres of the tondi soul – yhe head, heart and liver; ‘

In this case the head has a subtile element a betel quid in the left cheek.

Photo credits

Dorotheum, Vienna