Priest's Horn
| 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 |
| This artwork is currently on view. | |
A horn with one pointed end, and an intricately carved detail at the wider end. The carved detail includes five small figures linked together, perched on the back of a stylized animal.
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 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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Cite this page
"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