Specifications

• Height: 35,5 cm.
• Material: wood, metal, animal hair
• Position:
• Gender:
• Indigenous name:
• Price realised:

Provenance

Weltkulturen Museum, Frankfurt am Main, inv. nr. N.S. 36489

Publication

Raabe, Eva (1992), Mythos Maske, p. 62, ill. 21; Ref.: Wentholt, Arnold (2014), Nusantara, Highlights of Museum Nusantara Delft, 26-27

Exhibitions

Mythos Maske, Museum für Völkerkunde 1992

Additional information

In Batak society (Toba, Karo and Simalungun) masks played an important role in the funerals of people of high rank and during harvest festivals. Once a funeral ceremony had taken place and the body was buried, the masked dancers removed their masks to put them on the grave’s mound. This event took place after the masked dancers had accompanied the coffin during the final mourning stage, i.e. carrying it around the village.

Photo credits

Rudolf Nagel