In 1862 van der Tuuk gave about 200 of his objects to the Ethnographic Museum of the Zoological Society of Natura Artis Magistra which had opened to the public the previous year. He also donated 154 pustaha and 29 paper manuscripts to the Leiden University Library (Teeuw 1971). In 1920 the collection of the Ethnographic Museum was handed over to the Colonial Museum, which in 1950 became the Tropenmuseum, This Pustaha now belong in Troppenmuseum in Amsterdam (inventory number A-1389) along with many pustaha, textiles, magical horns, staffs, and weapons. The most unique item from this collection is the Great Pustaha.
The Great Pustaha stands as unique collection with a height of 42 centimeters and a length of over half a meter. The serpent on top of the book is probably Naga Padoha, ruler of the underworld in Batak Myth. In between the wooden panels are the pages of the book. The pages are folded accordion-like, like the book music used in a street organ. The 56 pages are made of tree bark cloth, and if unfolded this book will be 17 meters length. The conversion into Christianity during the late 19th century marked a transformative period for the Batak culture, influencing beliefs, rituals, and societal norms. The native religion, once integral to the Batak identity, became stigmatized as heathen.
