Seals are highly esteemed symbols of authority in the Islamic world. for Prophet Muhammad himself had a seal ring bearing the inscription: "Muhammad is the messenger of God'. These two seals belonged to the last king of the Patani sultanate, Raja Abdul Kadir Kamaruddin (b.1875 - d.1931), who ruled Patani from 1899 until his abdication in 1921. The inscription on one seal proclaims his lineage and status as "Raja Patani"; while the other was used specifically for land transactions. The stupa-shaped handles of these ivory seals are unusual forms for Malay world seals, perhaps reflecting the complex dynamics between the Patani and Siam kingdoms.
