Batak Guri Guri Medicine Container

Batak, Sumatra, Indonesia
The Chinese trade jar likely dates to the 17th – 18th Century
4 x 2 in (10 x 5 cm)
Wood, Chinese trade porcelain
Price Upon Request

Provenance: Professor Bernard “Ben” Tursch

Guri Guri (or Perminangken) is Batak container for a magical substance called puk puk used by shamans. The top of the jar features a portrait of the primordial ancestor Si Raja Batak riding his Singha mount. This object is infused with animistic power. The Chinese trade jar dates to the 17th-18th century.