Title
Pair of earrings
Year/Period
Early 20th century
Region
South Sulawesi
Object Type
Dimension
refer to parts
Accession No.
2002-00584
Collection of
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. Edmond Chin
NLB Type
Silverwork
This is a pair of gold S-tail shaped ear studs, or ‘toge’, worn by the Bugis people of South Sulawesi. The outline of these ear studs features leaf motifs, and they are intricately decorated with applied filigree and granulation. These earrings are worn by wealthy women. Jewellery has many different functions in island Southeast Asia, for example it was used to indicate social positions, to symbolise the importance of the social relationship between the giver and the receiver during gift exchanges, and to serve as miniature religious objects.
