Medicine horn, island of Sumatra. - Lot 330

Medicine horn, island of Sumatra. Crescent-moon-shaped container adorned with a low-relief reptile figure (varan or lizard) in the middle. The container is carved from buffalo horn (Bubalus arnee) with a carved wooden stopper. The sculpture consists of a zoo-anthropomorphic head, most likely a representation of a singa, a mythological creature specific to the Batak people. On its head, the Singa carries a retinue of 5 human beings. The first clings to the creature's horns. The second figure holds on to him by the shoulders, while the third holds on to the second by the shoulders. The last two in the suite appear to be holding onto the Singa's neck. These 5 figures are crouching. This line-up of human beings can be read as a succession of lineages, or as a procession of magicians following the teachings of the master magician who owns the horn. A wooden rod closes the stopper, passing right through the horn. At the opposite end of the stopper, the horn ends with a seated human figure, knees bent and hands holding them. This object, called "naga morsarong" or sometimes "sahan", contains all the ingredients needed by the "datu" (priest, magician and diviner) to preserve his preparations or the ingredients required for his magical recipes in order to provide his treatments, hence the name "medicine horn" used in specialized literature. A more accurate French translation would be "corne à remèdes". It was worn on the shoulder or belt. This medicine horn is a product of the Batak, a generic name for several sub-groups, the largest of which is the Toba, also known as the "classic Batak" or Toba Batak. Once animists, they are now predominantly Christian. Crusty patina. Toba (Batak), Sumatra (Indonesia). On base. Dimension: length 44 cm. Estimated dating: 20th century Provenance : Private collection, Nouméa Acquired from the previous owner by G. Ronseaux Selective bibliography : - Jean-Paul BARBIER & Douglas NEWTON (eds.), 1988, Islands and Ancestors. Indigenous Styles of Southeast Asia, Prestel Verlag ; pp. 224-225. - Florina H. CAPISTRANO-BAKER, Art of the island Southeast Asia. The Fred and Rita Richman collection, 1994, Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York); pp. 44-45. - Douglas NEWTON (ed.), 1997, Arts of the South Seas, Barbier Mueller & Adam Biro; pp. 40-51. Corpus for comparison: - Lot 2213, John Moran, Monrovia (California, USA) - Oct. 21, 2020 ; - Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET) (New York), 1987.453.1 - Musée du Quai Branly - Jacques Chirac (Paris), 70.2001.27.245