This is a pair of earrings worn by the Batak women, which reflects an indianised style of Batak jewellery. In their religion, the Batak have preserved many features clearly derived from Hindu-Buddhist influence, and these influences were mostly likely brought about through trade with India as early as the 4th century. 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.
