36800→ Area or Country: Indonesia, Batak region A porhalan owned by a Datu (sorcerer/shaman) of the Batak, an indigenous people living in the highlands around Lake Toba in northern Sumatra. The contents, carved in Batak script on bamboo, wood, or bone fragments, are mainly a calendar for divination to see the fortunes of daily life, and this item is made of bone. It is said that some old ones were made from the bones of powerful Datus, and they are very rare items, along with the pustaha, which is a valuable Sumatran agarwood bark tanned to make a Datu's magical textbook. There is a hole on one side of the tube to hold the decoration (photo 8), and it is presumed to have been used as part of a staff or container (photo 13, example image, not this item). Please note that the translation in photo 14 is a reference image and is not included. Antique Southeast Asia Batak Calendar Pustaha Magic Toba language Astrology Scorpio Snake Chart Scope Collection