Hat finial

Title
Hat finial
Creator
Year/Period
19th century
Region
Aceh, North Sumatra
Object Type
Material
Dimension
Object size: 4.0 x 5.8 x 5.8 cm
Accession No.
2002-00675
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. Edmond Chin

Aceh is one of the few areas, aside from the northeastern Malay states, in which the faceted granulation technique was used. Old Acehnese gold jewellery resembles ornaments from Kelantan, across the Melaka Straits, in its use of red staining and minute detailing. The innovative feature of gold from Aceh lies in its use of enamel on gold, as in the mesh bracelet on display. This technique was probably acquired through Aceh’s sustained contact with the wider Islamic world of Mughal India and Ottoman Turkey.