I can just repeat what I already stated in the main forum:
Batak is a quagmire!
The first tourist pieces got already produced during the second half of the 19th century, i.e. about 150 years ago. Thus, these souvenirs for colonial visitors are legitimate antiques and the better examples are not easy to discern.
Even if carved by Batak craftsmen, one can see that skills got lost during the long period and the cultural changes of all Batak groups associated with colonization and missionary activities. There even were Chinese factories in Medan producing this stuff. They obviously catered to the taste of their buyers and you even see wild "exotic" mixtures of, for example, Batak and Nias styles in a single item!
When looking at major museum collections, allow for a considerable amount of their holdings being not genuine and never meant for actual use in the originating cultures.
Some of the later pieces are actually well carved and collectible in their own right. Just don't buy into any seller's stories nor pay inflated prices!
Regards,
Kai
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