Priest's Horn

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Culture Batak

Culture Toba (Subgroup of the Batak)

Title Priest's Horn (Naga Morsarang)

Date Late 19th or early 20th century

Medium Wood and buffalo horns

Dimensions Object: 16 1/2 × 2 1/2 × 23 1/2 in. (41.9 × 6.4 × 59.7 cm)
Overall (includes mount): 24 5/16 × 3 3/16 × 24 3/16 in. (61.8 × 8.1 × 61.4 cm)

Credit Line Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University

Accession Number 77.13

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About this Work

This horn was owned by a datu, a powerful male ritual specialist trained in divination, healing, and sorcery, which he practiced for the benefit of his community. Many of these activities required particular materials, medicines, or potions, which were kept in containers such as this. The sculptor carefully carved a seated figure at the tip and embellished the top edge of the horn with a carved snake and the wooden stopper with a carved lion head.

Provenance
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Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.

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"Priest's Horn | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2025. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=77.13