Description:

**Originally Listed At $300**

Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Sumatra, Toba Batak, ca. 19th to mid-20th century CE. A long, gently curved bone porhalaan - a divination calendar/almanac carved and etched with lizards, key symbols in Batak cosmology, and additional auspicious motifs arranged in registers. Along the inner curve, twelve columns subdivided into small squares encode the thirty-day cycle when the piece is held horizontally, while a suspension loop at the top is flanked by a pair of low-relief lizards. Used by datu (priest-magicians), porhalaan were consulted to determine auspicious days for activities such as hunting, planting/harvest, travel, and ritual events rather than to measure time, and the specialized knowledge required to interpret them was traditionally restricted to the datu within Batak society. Size: 1.8" W x 14.25" H (4.6 cm x 36.2 cm); 15.25" H (38.7 cm) on included custom stand.

Provenance: private Rogers, Arkansas, USA collection; ex-Bosio collection, Miami, Florida, USA, 1960-2000

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

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#200015

  • Condition: Fading and rubbing to surfaces, but otherwise intact. Mounted on a custom stand.

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Shipping

Auction House will ship, at Buyer's expense

February 8, 2026 10:00 AM MST
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $299 $25
$300 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $20,000