Write to the booksellers
Pustaka. (Pustaha) - Miniatur Zauberbuch eines Batak-Stammes von Sumatra, wohl 19. Jhd.
19th c., ca. 18x12 cm, Gesamtgr. ca. 5,5 Meter lang, Hs. beidseitig auf Baumrinde geschrieben u. in Leporelloform gefalt. 48 Bl., mit Ausbrüchen und Fehlstellen, housed in a handmade box with leather covers / in einer speziell angefertigten Lederschachtel.
Reference : 137573aaf
Original handwritten magic or divination book of the Batak-People (Sumatra) on tree bark. This special type of book called ,Pustaha’ or ,Pustaka’ is made of folded treebark (bast) and contains informations about magical practises and divinity in the form of text and drawings of magical symbols. It is handwritten in a syllable script derived from the Indian Sanskrit. The language is one of the dialects of the 6 groups of the Batak people, living around the vulcanic Toba Lake and in the surrounding mountains in northern Sumatra. The Batak had the reputation to be fierce warriors who practised ritual cannibalism until they became subjects of the colonial Dutch East Indian government. They have a rich animistic tradition with complex rituals (funerals etc.). In most Batak communities, only the priests, or ,datu’ were able to use the Batak script, and use it mainly for magical texts, divination, fortune telling, calendars and medicine. Only the datu and their students were supposed to know the secrets contained within these books. A rare item. cf..The history of the Book, J. Hauck collection N° 41. Image disp.
Bookseller's contact details
Harteveld Rare Books Ltd.
M. Ben Harteveld
rue des Alpes, 5
1700 Fribourg
Switzerland
41 (0)26 3223808
Payment mode
Sale conditions
Les livres sont habillés de leur reliure originale de l'époque. Si une reliure est d'une époque plus récente, ou si elle a subi des restaurations, nous le précisons dans nos descriptions (des petits défauts ne sont pas toujours mentionnés). Les frais de port et d'emballage sont à la charge du destinataire. Les envois sont effectués sous la responsabilité des acheteurs. Paiement par CARTE DE CRÉDIT (veuillez indiquer les numéros, la date): Visa, Eurocard, Mastercard, ou par mandat postal international.
