Black Sahan Boraspati Ni Tano

Sahan is a traditional Batak container used by healers to store herbal medicines, preserving their potency. It also has a ritualistic role, serving as a storage place for ancestral ashes placed in front of fences to ward off evil and disease. Carved from buffalo horn, this ceremonial sahan features intricate Batak motifs. Most notably, it displays Boraspati ni Tano, the male earth and underworld deity, symbolizing fertility and protection. The ancestral figures at the top and bottom honor lineage and represent a bridge between the living and the spiritual realm, reinforcing the Batak belief in ancestral presence and guidance.

Batak Medicine Storage, circa 1970
Origin: North Sumatra
Material: Wooden Carving and Buffalo Horn
Dimension: 55 x 31 x 6,5 cm
Condition: Perfect

Condition Guide
Perfect: Items are in perfect condition
Pristine: It may show lightening, small stains and damage
Antiques: Condition is relative to age, since imperfections are what give vintage pieces their special character