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Batak Ceremonial Kercapi

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:100.00 USD Estimated At:100.00 - 10,000.00 USD
Batak Ceremonial Kercapi
41.5" Ceremonial two-string Kercapi is ornately carved from plantation grown hardwoods. A traditional squatting figure adorned with horsehair rides the back of "Singa", a mythical lion, at the top of the Kercapi. Music is made by adjusting the tension on the strings with hand carved heads at the top of the neck. Sound resonates in the hollow body and escapes thru an elongated opening in the back. The base of the Kercapi rests on another ornate carving of "Singa", the mythical lion. This is an amazing instraument with beautiful sound. This piece is in excellant condition and comes with the stand. An occasional application of oil will help maintain the high luster of the wood. The Batak homeland is the island of Sumatra at the western end of the modern Republic of Indonesia. It's the fifth largest island in the world and many other tribes live there. Batak peoples live in the remote areas of the mountainous highlands and the eastern and western coastal regions. One thousand meters above sea level, the highlands steep valleys and thick forests made the Batak region inaccessible and impenetrable during the period of scientific, missionary and colonial development. Long known to Europe, the Batak have only relatively recently come to the attention of the West. The Batak consist of six ethenic groups, diverse in dialect and historical experience. Although Islam and Christianity have been strong influences, many of the Batak population still follow religious ideas and practices of their ancestors. The Batak are one of the few cannibalistic peoples know to have a sophistacated calendar, written language, and with their gold trade, also a system of numbers. The carvers of the Batak peoples are considered some of the best primitive carvers in the world. The quality of their workmanship and the beauty of their peices bear witness to the talent of the people that produce them.