Antique carved wooden marionette head with a lever inside the head that can move the eye lids up and won, and other various channels which were used to house the control strings. Such marionettes are considered the most complex puppets in the world. At Batak funerals, si gale-gale served as surrogate sons for individuals without male children. These stand-ins would perform crucial mortuary rites that ensured the deceased’s safe passage to the afterlife. This head is made of wood, and would have been controlled by an elaborate system of internal strings and levers that allow them to move in a lifelike manner. The head measures 15 x 7 inches. There is no display stand included. The internal mechanism inside the head cavity has a broken lever and although still functions to move the eye lids, it is in need of restoration. Batak peoples, Sumatra, Indonesia. Provenance: A Private Pennsylvania collection.

Good, very well worn, some damage and weathering