Description:

Priest's staff "tongkat malehat"
Indonesia, Sumatra North, Batak (Karo), 19th cent.
L. 177 cm (inkl. Federn)
Wood, hair (human), feathers. An old staff attachment with strong patina, belonging to the staff of a high-ranking priest and shaman (datu). The fully carved attachment depicts a rider sitting on a horse-like singa. The attachment belongs to a tongkat malehat, which differs from the fully carved tunggal panaluan staffs in that the shaft of the staff is smooth and only the upper part is sculpted, but - as in the present, excellent example - sometimes very opulent and expressive. The tongkat is probably the older type of staff, which is already depicted in an astonishingly similar way on bronze representations from the presumed area of origin of the Batak, Yunnan at the foot of the Himalayas, which are over 2000 years old. At the feet of the singa or singa-like horse, a series of ancestor figures can be seen all around, which the rider magically strengthens. The disproportionately large head is adorned with plaited human hair and feathers. The main figure's stern, almost mask-like facial expression is intentional; his motionlessness and detachment from the world express his closeness to the sphere beyond. The singa itself, showing a long outstretched tongue (a concise apotropaic gesture), stands on a group of small human figures. From its open mouth hangs the tongue extended into an abstract ornament in an ominous gesture; a gesture that is widespread and probably best known today from the New Zealand Maori.The top has a strong organic patina and appears to have been used for a long time.
Collected from an old German private collection since the 1950s

The staffs are among the internationally renowned ceremonial tools of the Batak priests. Like the sacred ancestral effigies and the magic horns, they had to be animated with a mysterious organic substance (pupuk), which was supposedly made from the head and other human body parts, before they could develop their magical powers. The magic and oracle book (pustaha) and the magic calendar (porhalaan) were just as important to the Batak priests as the magic wand, helping them to interpret the complicated astrological connections and determine the right days for important ceremonies. However, staffs as insignia of rank and metaphysical power are not specifically “batak”. For example, staffs are also commonly used by Dayak as insignia of rank. They are also worn by Iban-Dayak, who according to their own tradition came from Sumatra, as status insignia by older men and bards as well as shamans. At this point, reference can be made to other aspects of the staffs or the equestrian figure depicted. The story of a saint or warrior riding on the shoulders of an anthropomorphic demon and man-eater (mythical half-lion, but possibly originally a different entity) may also have originally played a role in the Batak staffs. The Buddha-Sutasoma story describing this constellation was very common on Java, Sumatra, Bali etc. in pre-Muslim times

Priesterstab "tongkat malehat"
Indonesien, Sumatra Nord-, Batak (Karo), 19. Jh.
L. 177 cm (inkl. Federn)
Holz, Haare (Menschlich), Federn. Ein alter Stabaufsatz mit starker Patina, der zum Stab eines hochrangigen Priesters und Schamanen (datu) gehört. Der vollplastisch geschnitzte Aufsatz stellt einen auf einem pferdeartigen singa sitzenden Reiter dar. Der Aufsatz gehört zu einem tongkat malehat, der sich von den flächendeckend beschnitzten Stäben tunggal panaluan dadurch unterscheidet, dass der Schaft des Stabes glatt ist und lediglich der Oberteil plastisch ausgestaltet ist, dafür jedoch - wie in dem vorliegenden, hervorragenden Beispiel - bisweilen sehr opulent und expressiv. Wahrscheinlich handelt es sich bei den tongkat um den älteren Typ von Stäben, der schon an über 2000 Jahre alten Bronze-Darstellungen aus dem mutmaßlichen Ursprungsgebiet der Batak, Yunnan am Fuße des Himalaya, in erstaunlich ähnlicher Art d

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, MasterCard, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

We do not offer inhouse packing and shipping services.

We are pleased to provide you with the following list of transport companies, which we can recommend based on many years of good experience and a longstanding cooperation. We kindly ask you to contact the companies directly to negotiate the terms of costs, insurance and the organization of the transport.

Export to countries outside the EU are subject to the restrictions of the UNESCO convention from 1970 and the European Agreement for the Protection of Cultural Heritage from 1993. Moreover, the cites regulations are applicable. Objects with materials such as ivory or tortoise shell require a permission for export into countries outside the EU contract area due to cites regulations. We point out that such a permission is usually not given. For exports within the EU the Act to Protect German Cultural Property against Removal (Kulturgutschutzgesetz) has been in force since 6th August 2016.


Eric Art Services
Beijing/Shanghai/Hong Kong
+86 10 8880 3001 (BJ)
+86 21 3103 2707 (SH)
+852 2204 1888 (HK)
[email protected]


Mailboxes etc. / MBE
Silke Klink & Marco Bittner
Friedrich-List-Str. 8
70771 Leinfelden-Echterdingen
+49 (0) 711 / 41170270
[email protected]


Matthias Fegers
Service for art and trade
Moldenweg 5
21339 Lüneburg
49 (0) 4131 / 727525
[email protected]


MuseumsPartner Kunstspedition GmbH
Pass-Thurn-Straße 25
6372 Oberndorf bei Kitzbühel
+43 5356 6950
[email protected]


A.V.M. Service and Transport
Alexander von Mertens
Römerstraße 32
70180 Stuttgart
+49 (0) 172 / 71 36 254
[email protected]

December 9, 2024 9:30 AM CET
Stuttgart, Germany

Nagel Auction

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 32.5% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
0 € 19 € 5 €
20 € 179 € 10 €
180 € 299 € 20 €
300 € 359 € 30 €
360 € 399 € 40 €
400 € 899 € 50 €
900 € 999 € 100 €
1.000 € 1.999 € 100 €
2.000 € 2.999 € 200 €
3.000 € 3.599 € 300 €
3.600 € 3.999 € 400 €
4.000 € 9.999 € 500 €
10.000 € 19.999 € 1.000 €
20.000 € 29.999 € 2.000 €
30.000 € 35.999 € 3.000 €
36.000 € 39.999 € 4.000 €
40.000 € 99.999 € 5.000 €
100.000 € 199.999 € 10.000 €
200.000 € + 20.000 €