Title
Buckles
Year/Period
19th century
Region
Java
Dimension
refer to parts
Accession No.
2002-00613
Collection of
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. Edmond Chin
This is a set of iron belt buckle ('olan-olan') and attachment featuring the design of twining serpents and they were inlaid with gold leaf. This type of belt buckles was widely worn in central Java in the 19th century and they were usually fixed to a cloth sash or a belt woven from human hair. They were also worn by people of fine birth or people of an elite class. Accessories have many different functions in island Southeast Asia, for example it was used to indicate social positions, to symbolise the importance of the social relationship between the giver and the receiver during gift exchanges, and to serve as miniature religious objects.
