Magic Fetish, Parsimboraan

Toba Batak, North Sumatra, Indonesia
19th c.

Provenance: Rodger Dashow collection

Published: “Indonesian Tribal Art”, 2015, pg. 225.

Sumatra is rich in tin, a malleable metal essential to all bronze alloys. Parsimboraan are anthropomorphic fetish amulets believed to ward off evil spirits. Cast from a tin-lead alloy, this example is intricately woven with twine, creating bulbous headdresses adorned with tufts of horsehair. This particular piece is cast in the form of kneeling Janus figures, symbolizing duality and spiritual protection.