Title
Bowl
Year/Period
c 1930
Region
Sumatra or Riau Archipelago
Object Type
Material
Technique
Dimension
Object size: 27 x 27.2 x 11.6 cm
Accession No.
2015-00299
Collection of
This footed gold bowl was probably produced around 1930 by a Malay craftsman in Sumatra. It is unusual because it is made from an alloy of gold and silver known colloquially as mas Melayu, which translates “Malay gold”. Such repoussé table wares were usually made of silver. The bowl was once owned by the Dutch Governor of Surakarta, who probably received it as a gift. During the early 20th century production of such handicrafts was encouraged by the Dutch colonial government in Indonesia as a way of stimulating economic growth while ‘preserving’ traditional crafts. They were marketed mainly to western tourists or exported to Europe as less expensive, more exotic alternatives to what was available locally.
