Toba Batak Bone Porhalaan Divination Calendar, Sumatra

Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Sumatra, Toba Batak, ca. 19th to mid-20th century CE. A curved bone porhalaan, a divination calendar/almanac, carved and etched with lizards, key symbols in Batak cosmology, and additional auspicious motifs arranged in registers. Along the inner curve, twelve columns subdivided into small squares encode a thirty-day cycle when the piece is held horizontally, while a suspension loop at the top is flanked by a pair of low-relief lizards. Porhalaan were used by datu (priest-magicians) to determine auspicious days for activities such as hunting, planting or harvest, travel, and ritual events, rather than to measure time; the specialized knowledge required to interpret them was traditionally restricted to the datu within Batak society. Size: 1.8" W x 14.25" H (4.6 cm x 36.2 cm); 15.25" H (38.7 cm) on included custom stand. Item # 200015

Estimate:$125

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