Yupa: Historical Studies Journal
Vol. 10 No. 2 (2026)

Ulos Ragi Pakko and Batak Toba Cultural Meaning in a North Sumatra Museum Collection

Desi Herawati (Universitas Islam Negeri Sumatera Utara)
Muaz Tanjung (Universitas Islam Negeri Sumatera Utara)



Article Info

Publish Date
05 Jul 2026

Abstract

This study examines Ulos Ragi Pakko as a Batak Toba cultural artifact preserved in the collection of the North Sumatra Provincial State Museum. It is motivated by the need to document and interpret traditional textiles as material representations of Batak identity, social values, and historical continuity amid contemporary cultural change. The study asks how Ulos Ragi Pakko functions as a cultural artifact and what symbolic meanings it embodies in Batak Toba society. Using a qualitative historical approach, data were collected through artifact observation, museum documentation, literature review, and contextual interpretation of cultural sources related to Batak traditions. The findings show that Ulos Ragi Pakko is not only a traditional woven textile but also a medium of social communication that reflects kinship structures, customary values, ceremonial functions, and the cultural worldview of the Batak Toba people. The artifact embodies meanings associated with respect, social status, solidarity, and cultural continuity across generations. The study contributes to cultural history and museological studies by showing how museum collections interpret, represent, and transmit cultural meanings to wider audiences.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

yupa

Publisher

Subject

Education Social Sciences

Description

Yupa: Historical Studies Journal publishes articles for four aspects below. Historiography means the writing of history based on the critical examination of sources, the selection of particular details from the authentic materials in those sources, and the synthesis of those details into a narrative ...