Title
Pair of ear ornaments
Year/Period
19th century
Region
Karo Batak, Northern Sumatra, Indonesia
Object Type
Material
Technique
Dimension
Refer to parts
Accession No.
2002-00575
Collection of
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. Edmond Chin
This is a pair ofear ornaments called 'padung-padung' by the Karo Batak people. They are worn attached to the headdress of the wearer. The double spiral motif is a form that manifests itself very early in Island Southeast Asia, appearing in jewellery dating back to before the Common Era. Despite its antiquity though the double spiral continues to appear widely across the archipelago, particularly in tribal societies such as the Batak and Nias.
