In Sumba, one island of the smaller Sunda Islands in Indonesia, such ‘Mamuli’ made of gold or silver were not merely ornaments. As ornaments, ‘Mamuli’ pendants were worn by the noblemen of Sumba around the neck, on the ears or on golden forehead decorations in the form of buffalo horns, in order to publicly display their social rank. In addition, the ‘Mamuli’ nevertheless had yet another completely different meaning: they were elements of sacred religious rituals, an important part of the traditional bride price and belong to the ‘inherited treasure’ of large aristocratic families. The basic form of the ‘Mamuli’ is thought to derive from the depiction of the female sex. And the gold from which the ‘Mamuli’ is produced is thought to originate from Dutch gold coins (8 to 12 carat). The present ‘Mamuli’, made of gold, in a quite typical, traditional shape, is especially large, heavy and the magnificent work of a goldsmith from Sumba: on both the lower left and right protruding projections are mounted warriors made of gold, sitting on their golden horses, with round shields and lances. The heads, arms, lances and shields of the golden riders are movable parts. Entirely without damage. A piece of astounding quality.
Height: c. 10 cm; width: ca.9,5 cm.
Between c. 1900 and the first third of the 20th century. (ME)

Provenance:
Austrian private collection.