The Batak: Peoples of the Island of Sumatra (Living With Ancestors)

Hardcover, plain cloth boards with pictorial DJ, 9" tall x 10" wide, 240 pages. Full title : "Living With Ancestors - The Batak - Peoples Of The Island Of Sumatra" by Achim Sibeth with contributions by Uli Kozok and Juara Ginting. 1 Map. 2 Tables. 5 Drawings. 6-Page bibliography. Glossary. Over 150 Field Photos. Over 300 Batak items in color. (The book's DJ flap claims : "327 Illustrations, 180 In Color") Original price $45. Published by Thames and Hudson, 1991.There is a case to be made that this book sacrifices quality for quantity : there are a very large number of Batak items featured, but unfortunately many of the Batak items depicted are in very small format, often in multiple-item photographs. Even though the book sometimes resembles a crowded auction catalogue, there are enough interesting Batak items and a very pleasing number of field/people/contextual photos to make this an essential study of Batak art.Personally, I prefer Achim Sibeth's later publication :  Batak Sculpture  but, at the right price, this earlier work is a worthwhile addition to anybody's collection of Indonesian Island tribal art.

This book offers a fabulous array of photos and information of the aboriginal group called “the batak” from the island of Sumatra. Do check out other books written by same author.

great book

This tribal group does not have much written on it for the average collector to refer to, and this book makes a helpful contribution to the existing literature. The photos are well done, and I'm pleased to own this.