Title
Pendant
Year/Period
Late 19th-early 20th centuries
Region
East Sumba, Indonesia
Material
Dimension
Object size: L:6.7 x W:5.3
Accession No.
1999-00219
Collection of
In the Lesser Sunda Islands, in eastern Indonesia, gift exchange forms a significant practice before marriage. Mamuli are beautifully crafted diamond-shaped pendants that are important items of gift exchange during marriage ceremonies. They are given by the bride’s family to the groom’s. This one features a pair of buffaloes, which in Sumba symbolise wealth. Mamuli are typically made from gold or gilded silver with granulated and braided wire decorations of highly intricate design that may feature animal or human figures. Some particularly old and valuable mamuli are considered family heirlooms and are rarely exchanged. Ordinary ones are passed down from generation to generation for each successive marriage.
