This is a finely carved old wood sculpture of a male effigy with strong facial features from the Toba Batak peoples, Sumatra, Indonesia.Sculpture from this tribe is relatively rare on the market , with old original example such as this much sought after. Rapid change has taken place in the Batak culture since the beginning of the 20th century. Indigenous religious beliefs were forsaken in favor of Christianity and Islam, and ritual objects lost their importance. Sacred heirlooms (pusaka) became increas­ingly rare, even to locals. Many objects were abandoned or were sold. In the present day, authentic and artistically valuable objects are scarcely available among the Batak. Aesthetically unique artifacts are sold at high prices on the international art mar­ket because of their rarity.In the pre-Christian era, priest-magicians (datu) produced three-dimensional sculptures made of wood, or occasionally of stone, on behalf of villages, families, or individuals. The function of these sculptures was always magical and religious, never decora­tive. A datu carved the cult objects in his own style, according to his own abilities, and based on his level of knowledge. Among the Batak, all ancestor figures, ritual objects, and representations of primeval mythological creatures were fashioned exclusively by the datu. The importance of these objects came not so much from their artistry as from their magical-religious potency. This statue measures 12.5 inches tall. ( 14.25 inches on wooden display stand)ConditionGood, well handled, weatheredProvenance: Gallery DeRoche, Dave DeRoche, San Francisco, CA, USA.

Good, well handled