This elaborately worked neck ornament in 22 karat repoussé gold (shaped by pressing the designs from the reverse side) is lavishly set with rubies, sapphires, and diamonds. This extraordinary piece was worn by the king, with the larger part on his chest and the smaller on his back. While exact dates are difficult to ascertain, it would seem that the necklace was created circa 1890. Commissioned by the palace of Singaraja, it and a second necklace were fashioned for an important wedding ceremony—a pair for the bride and groom. The necklace was likely used only once, due to its preciousness and value, and then preserved by the family. Made from heavy pure gold, rare for Balinese jewelry, the necklace indicates that this royal family was particularly affluent.
Scattered over the equator like a string of pearls, the Indonesian archipelago ranks as the largest in the world. A country composed of more than 17,000 islands located north of Australia and south of Malaysia, it is a crossroads of trade, allowing contact with merchants from China, India, Arabic lands, and Europe. Many islands developed individual artistic styles that were also influenced by these foreign cultures. No other country offers such variety of people, culture, and landscape. It is home to the world’s major religions—including Islam, Hinduism, Christianity, Buddhism—and indigenous beliefs and traditions. The terrain ranges from lush tropical rain forests to snow-covered mountains, pristine beaches with coral reefs, and shrub lands.
Indonesia ranks as one of the largest gold-producing countries in the world. An ancient name for Indonesia was Svarnadvipa, a Sanskrit word meaning "Island of Gold." From earliest times, its peoples believed that gold and gems were empowered with supernatural force. Gold is deeply symbolic in many Indonesian cultures and signifies public representation of political power and kinship, rituals and myth. It is a sign of aristocratic standing and nobility of character. A portable form of wealth, it is easily displayed and carried on the body as a public assertion of high social position. Jewelry is placed in two main categories: heirloom pieces retained by the family as house treasures and kept in sacred areas to be worn only during special rituals; and jewelry exchanged during marriage. Gold is considered “masculine” and is gifted by the groom’s family to the bride.
Thanks to Mr. Alfred Glassell Jr., our collection of Indonesian gold ranks as one of the largest outside the archipelago.
