Horseman on panther. Batak, Sumatra, 19th century.

Rider on panther. Batak culture, Sumatra Island, Indonesia. XIX century.
Limestone.
Provenance: Private collection, Paris, France.
Conservation: good condition. Presents two restored break lines at the waist.
Measurements: 85 x 97 x 25 cm.

Sculpture of a horseman riding a panther or a shinga, probably made by the Toba culture, the most numerous group of the Batak people, in the north of Sumatra. These statues were generally carved in the likeness of a chief. The strange animal playing the role of the steed could be a panther or a singha, a hybrid monster that was often depicted as half reptile and half buffalo.

In the pre-Christian era, priest-mages called datu made wooden, or occasionally stone, sculptures for their villages and families. The function of these sculptures was always magical and religious, never merely decorative. Among the Batak, all ancestor figures, mythological creatures and ritual objects were carved exclusively by the datu. Even so, carvings were also highly prized for their beauty, kept as sacred heirlooms in families for many generations.

The Batak are one of the peoples of Indonesia. Their core area is in North Sumatra with their center at Lake Toba. Before their pacification under Dutch colonial rule of the East Indies, the Batak were known as fierce warriors and cannibals. Later, Christianity was widely embraced and the Batak church is now the largest Christian congregation in Indonesia. Batak society is patriarchal and there is a dowry system. The Batak culture excels in weaving, wood carving and especially in their ornate stone tombs. Their burial culture is very rich and complex and includes a ceremony in which the bones of one's ancestors are reburied several years after death. The Batak speak a variety of closely related languages, all members of the Austronesian language family. It is believed that Batak ancestors sailed across the Indian Ocean and colonized Madagascar.