Batak Bullet Holder Paru Paru with Chain

Batak, North Sumatra, Indonesia
18th-early 19th Century
18.25 x 2.75 in (20 x 7 cm)
Horn, metal
Price Upon Request

Provenance of a Private San Francisco Collection

The Batak of Sumatra, famous as headhunters, were on the same trade routes that brought early flint locks to Japan from Europe in the 17th Century.The musket’s bullets were locally cast from lead and were kept in magical bullet holders that displayed an image of the primordial clan progenitor. We encounter a threatening smile, related to the famous giant Batak masks.