A LONGKNIVE ''PISO GOLUK TAKA'' OR ''PISO KALASAN'' Indonesia, North Sumatra, Batak (Karo-Batak) L. 82 cm A prestigious long knife (piso) of the Karo-Batak people of North Sumatra. The slender, strong, slightly curved back blade is single-edged and forged from folded steel with a visible texture. The neck of the blade tapers to a large thickness, ensuring a good fit in the sheath. The handle is made of dark patinated ivory and depicts a crouching figure in an adorant posture with raised hands and a traditional long hairstyle, suggesting ancestral or priestly status. The figure is crowned by another, similarly designed figure with a silver cap decorated with filigree, symbolising the ascending soul. The base of the handle sits in an octagonal setting made of silver and copper, typical craftsmanship of the Karo people, who are famous for their silversmiths. Silver ferrules run around the dark hardwood scabbard body, which is appliquéd with filigree wire rings and twisted wires. The ivory scabbard mouth shows a series of phallic figures, indicating the knife's special significance as a votive offering at wedding ceremonies, with an explicit wish for fertility. The inserted scabbard foot is also made of patinated ivory (gading), which, according to Indian tradition, symbolises wealth and success. Hence the name piso gading, "ivory knife", as a reference to the importance of the knife as an object of prestige. Such knives are exchanged between the clan halves, usually as a morning gift to the bride's father or uncle. In exchange, the female line receives precious scarves, for which the Batak are equally famous.The Batak are organised according to matrilineal law, i.e. descent and inheritance rights are calculated via the mother line. In the past, they were regarded as feared, well-organised warriors who were said - whether wrongly or not has not been fully researched - to engage in ritual cannibalism. The name Batak (as "Batta") already appears in Marco Polo's reports. It comes from the Arabic and means "pork-eaters" in a somewhat derogatory way, probably also because the Batak, in contrast to the lowland inhabitants, remained largely Hindus and animists or retained their habits even as Muslims.The Batak people, who according to the Indonesian census number around 8 million in total, are divided into six large ethnic groups whose original settlement area is on Samosir, the island in Lake Toba. The Karo-Batak, the second largest group after the Toba, live north of the lake in the highlands of Kabanjahe and Berastagi. Compared to the other peoples of Indonesia, the Batak came under the influence of Dutch colonial rule very late. It was not until 1907, with the death of the charismatic Batak priest-king Singamangaraja XII, who led a long and successful guerrilla war against the Dutch, that the Dutch gained sovereignty over the Batak for a few more years until independence. The Batak are famous for their monumental clan houses, some of which are recognised as World Heritage Sites. From an old German private collection, assembled since the 1950s - The EU trade certificate for the sale of this lot is available - Minor traces of age Lit.: Gintings, D. (1993).: The Society and Culture of the Batak Karo. Medan. - IFICAH (2018): Die Verwandtschaft im Nacken. Ahnenkult und Klingenkunst der Batak auf Nord-Sumatra. International Foundation of Indonesian Culture and Asian Heritage. Hollenstedt.