Style: Majapahit, Java, Indonesia
Size: Height 24 cm
Order Number: MHSAII10

Old Majapahit beads, new gold beads

Bead making has been a highly valued skill throughout the world from the earliest times, at least for 40,000 years. Techniques invented by the Ancient Egyptians and Romans are still used today.

They have been used to guard against evil and as adornment. They can indicate a person’s rank and marital status. They are portable wealth and are traded. They are used as amulets in some societies

They are used by religions. The word bead comes from the Anglo-Saxon biddan, meaning to pray. Roman Catholic rosary beads contain a set number of beads for counting prayers, for example 150 for the psalms. Tibetan Buddhist and Hindu rosaries have 108 beads.

The makers guard their techniques closely. In the 13th and 14th centuries the Venetian Doges monopolised world glass making. in 1292 the glass makers were moved to the island of Murano and forbidden to reveal their secrets or even leave. If they did, the punishment was death.

Beads can be made from anything: bone, horn, glass, wood, metals such as gold, silver, bronze, and brass, ceramic, ivory, seeds, berries, stones, shells, pearls, coral, amber, jet and even plastic.

The powerful east Javanese king Kertanegara, whose capital was in Singosari, was brilliant and erudite but brutal and a drunkard.

The post Antique Bead Necklace 10 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Style: Majapahit, Java, Indonesia
Size: Height 23 cm
Order Number: MHSAII11

Majapahit beads, Majapahit gold beads

Bead making has been a highly valued skill throughout the world from the earliest times, at least for 40,000 years. Techniques invented by the Ancient Egyptians and Romans are still used today.

They have been used to guard against evil and as adornment. They can indicate a person’s rank and marital status. They are portable wealth and are traded. They are used as amulets in some societies

They are used by religions. The word bead comes from the Anglo-Saxon biddan, meaning to pray. Roman Catholic rosary beads contain a set number of beads for counting prayers, for example 150 for the psalms. Tibetan Buddhist and Hindu rosaries have 108 beads.

The makers guard their techniques closely. In the 13th and 14th centuries the Venetian Doges monopolised world glass making. in 1292 the glass makers were moved to the island of Murano and forbidden to reveal their secrets or even leave. If they did, the punishment was death.

Beads can be made from anything: bone, horn, glass, wood, metals such as gold, silver, bronze, and brass, ceramic, ivory, seeds, berries, stones, shells, pearls, coral, amber, jet and even plastic.

The powerful east Javanese king Kertanegara, whose capital was in Singosari, was brilliant and erudite but brutal and a drunkard.

The post Antique Bead Necklace 11 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Style: Indonesia
Size: Height 24 cm
Order Number: MHSAII17

Old Javanese glass beads, old gold beads.

Bead making has been a highly valued skill throughout the world from the earliest times, at least for 40,000 years. Techniques invented by the Ancient Egyptians and Romans are still used today.

They have been used to guard against evil and as adornment. They can indicate a person’s rank and marital status. They are portable wealth and are traded. They are used as amulets in some societies

They are used by religions. The word bead comes from the Anglo-Saxon biddan, meaning to pray. Roman Catholic rosary beads contain a set number of beads for counting prayers, for example 150 for the psalms. Tibetan Buddhist and Hindu rosaries have 108 beads.

The makers guard their techniques closely. In the 13th and 14th centuries the Venetian Doges monopolised world glass making. in 1292 the glass makers were moved to the island of Murano and forbidden to reveal their secrets or even leave. If they did, the punishment was death.

Beads can be made from anything: bone, horn, glass, wood, metals such as gold, silver, bronze, and brass, ceramic, ivory, seeds, berries, stones, shells, pearls, coral, amber, jet and even plastic.

Amber is a fossilised resin, which oozed out of trees 40 -120 million years ago, and has been carved since prehistoric times. It is mined in Burma, Romania, Sicily, Poland and Mexico. The colour ranges from yellow to reddish-black. It is soft and warm.

Map of Indonesia.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Bead Necklace 17 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Style: Indonesia
Size: Height 23 cm
Order Number: MHSAII18

Old Javanese glass beads, new gold beads.

Bead making has been a highly valued skill throughout the world from the earliest times, at least for 40,000 years. Techniques invented by the Ancient Egyptians and Romans are still used today.

They have been used to guard against evil and as adornment. They can indicate a person’s rank and marital status. They are portable wealth and are traded. They are used as amulets in some societies

They are used by religions. The word bead comes from the Anglo-Saxon biddan, meaning to pray. Roman Catholic rosary beads contain a set number of beads for counting prayers, for example 150 for the psalms. Tibetan Buddhist and Hindu rosaries have 108 beads.

The makers guard their techniques closely. In the 13th and 14th centuries the Venetian Doges monopolised world glass making. in 1292 the glass makers were moved to the island of Murano and forbidden to reveal their secrets or even leave. If they did, the punishment was death.

Beads can be made from anything: bone, horn, glass, wood, metals such as gold, silver, bronze, and brass, ceramic, ivory, seeds, berries, stones, shells, pearls, coral, amber, jet and even plastic.

Amber is a fossilised resin, which oozed out of trees 40 -120 million years ago, and has been carved since prehistoric times. It is mined in Burma, Romania, Sicily, Poland and Mexico. The colour ranges from yellow to reddish-black. It is soft and warm.

Map of Indonesia.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Bead Necklace 18 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Style: Indonesia
Size: Height 23 cm
Order Number: MHSAII19

Sumatran gold beads, old glass beads

Bead making has been a highly valued skill throughout the world from the earliest times, at least for 40,000 years. Techniques invented by the Ancient Egyptians and Romans are still used today.

They have been used to guard against evil and as adornment. They can indicate a person’s rank and marital status. They are portable wealth and are traded. They are used as amulets in some societies

They are used by religions. The word bead comes from the Anglo-Saxon biddan, meaning to pray. Roman Catholic rosary beads contain a set number of beads for counting prayers, for example 150 for the psalms. Tibetan Buddhist and Hindu rosaries have 108 beads.

The makers guard their techniques closely. In the 13th and 14th centuries the Venetian Doges monopolised world glass making. in 1292 the glass makers were moved to the island of Murano and forbidden to reveal their secrets or even leave. If they did, the punishment was death.

Beads can be made from anything: bone, horn, glass, wood, metals such as gold, silver, bronze, and brass, ceramic, ivory, seeds, berries, stones, shells, pearls, coral, amber, jet and even plastic.

Amber is a fossilised resin, which oozed out of trees 40 -120 million years ago, and has been carved since prehistoric times. It is mined in Burma, Romania, Sicily, Poland and Mexico. The colour ranges from yellow to reddish-black. It is soft and warm.

Map of Indonesia.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Bead Necklace 19 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Style: Indonesia
Size: Height 25 cm
Order Number: MHSAII20

Old gold beads, Sumatran gold pendant, mutisala beads

Bead making has been a highly valued skill throughout the world from the earliest times, at least for 40,000 years. Techniques invented by the Ancient Egyptians and Romans are still used today.

They have been used to guard against evil and as adornment. They can indicate a person’s rank and marital status. They are portable wealth and are traded. They are used as amulets in some societies

They are used by religions. The word bead comes from the Anglo-Saxon biddan, meaning to pray. Roman Catholic rosary beads contain a set number of beads for counting prayers, for example 150 for the psalms. Tibetan Buddhist and Hindu rosaries have 108 beads.

The makers guard their techniques closely. In the 13th and 14th centuries the Venetian Doges monopolised world glass making. in 1292 the glass makers were moved to the island of Murano and forbidden to reveal their secrets or even leave. If they did, the punishment was death.

Beads can be made from anything: bone, horn, glass, wood, metals such as gold, silver, bronze, and brass, ceramic, ivory, seeds, berries, stones, shells, pearls, coral, amber, jet and even plastic.

Amber is a fossilised resin, which oozed out of trees 40 -120 million years ago, and has been carved since prehistoric times. It is mined in Burma, Romania, Sicily, Poland and Mexico. The colour ranges from yellow to reddish-black. It is soft and warm.

Map of Indonesia.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Bead Necklace 20 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Style: Indonesia
Size: Length 46 cm
Order Number: MHSAII21

Old Majapahit gold beads, old Sumatran gold beads

Bead making has been a highly valued skill throughout the world from the earliest times, at least for 40,000 years. Techniques invented by the Ancient Egyptians and Romans are still used today.

They have been used to guard against evil and as adornment. They can indicate a person’s rank and marital status. They are portable wealth and are traded. They are used as amulets in some societies

They are used by religions. The word bead comes from the Anglo-Saxon biddan, meaning to pray. Roman Catholic rosary beads contain a set number of beads for counting prayers, for example 150 for the psalms. Tibetan Buddhist and Hindu rosaries have 108 beads.

The makers guard their techniques closely. In the 13th and 14th centuries the Venetian Doges monopolised world glass making. in 1292 the glass makers were moved to the island of Murano and forbidden to reveal their secrets or even leave. If they did, the punishment was death.

Beads can be made from anything: bone, horn, glass, wood, metals such as gold, silver, bronze, and brass, ceramic, ivory, seeds, berries, stones, shells, pearls, coral, amber, jet and even plastic.

Amber is a fossilised resin, which oozed out of trees 40 -120 million years ago, and has been carved since prehistoric times. It is mined in Burma, Romania, Sicily, Poland and Mexico. The colour ranges from yellow to reddish-black. It is soft and warm.

Map of Indonesia.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Bead Necklace 21 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Style: Majapahit, Java, Indonesia
Size: Height 21 cm
Order Number: MHSAII9

Majapahit beads, Sumatran gold beads

Bead making has been a highly valued skill throughout the world from the earliest times, at least for 40,000 years. Techniques invented by the Ancient Egyptians and Romans are still used today.

They have been used to guard against evil and as adornment. They can indicate a person’s rank and marital status. They are portable wealth and are traded. They are used as amulets in some societies

They are used by religions. The word bead comes from the Anglo-Saxon biddan, meaning to pray. Roman Catholic rosary beads contain a set number of beads for counting prayers, for example 150 for the psalms. Tibetan Buddhist and Hindu rosaries have 108 beads.

The makers guard their techniques closely. In the 13th and 14th centuries the Venetian Doges monopolised world glass making. in 1292 the glass makers were moved to the island of Murano and forbidden to reveal their secrets or even leave. If they did, the punishment was death.

Beads can be made from anything: bone, horn, glass, wood, metals such as gold, silver, bronze, and brass, ceramic, ivory, seeds, berries, stones, shells, pearls, coral, amber, jet and even plastic.

The powerful east Javanese king Kertanegara, whose capital was in Singosari, was brilliant and erudite but brutal and a drunkard.

The post Antique Bead Necklace 9 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Silver
Style: Flores, Indonesia
Size: Height 2.5 cm, Width 1.75 cm
Order Number: MHSAFE21

Flores is a long narrow island, with central mountains, and 12 ethnic societies. Their jewelry is extravagant.

The symbolic omega open oval form appears in a variety of ornamentation. It goes back to Neolithic Taiwan in about 500 BC in the jade earrings of the Austronesian people and is found throughout Southeast Asia and mirrors the Austronesian diaspora. The greatest variety in form and size are in Indonesia.

The form symbolises the female genitalia which itself symbolises fertility and fecundity.

19th century or earlier.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Flores Earrings 2 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Silver
Style: Central or East Flores, Indonesia
Size: Height 6.5 cm, Width 8.25 cm
Order Number: MHSAFT1

Flores is a long narrow island, with central mountains, and 12 ethnic societies. It was named by the Portuguese after the flowers on the east coast. Their jewelry is extravagant.

This double-axe pendant from Flores is called a taka in the Lio language. They resemble Dong Song ceremonial bronze axes. They are worn around the neck or on the forehead.

Taka are among the most treasured heirlooms, handed down from generation to generation. They belong to the ancestors and are only occasionally used as marriage gifts. They are stored away and blood sacrifices are carried out before they are looked at or worn.

The shape is an elaborate open oval, the ends of which cross over each other and are beaten flat.

The symbolic omega open oval form appears in a variety of ornamentation. It goes back to Neolithic Taiwan in about 500 BC in the jade earrings of the Austronesian people and is found throughout Southeast Asia and mirrors the Austronesian diaspora. The greatest variety in form and size are in Indonesia.

The form symbolises the female genitalia which itself symbolises fertility and fecundity.

There are similar examples in Gold Jewellery of the Indonesian Archipelago, Anne Richter and Bruce Carpenter, Editions Didier Millet 2011, pages 208 – 209.

Early – mid 20th century.

Map of Flores.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Flores Taka 1 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Silver
Style: Central or East Flores, Indonesia
Size: Height 7 cm, Width 8.25 cm
Order Number: MHSAFT2

Flores is a long narrow island, with central mountains, and 12 ethnic societies. It was named by the Portuguese after the flowers on the east coast. Their jewelry is extravagant.

This double-axe pendant from Flores is called a taka in the Lio language. They resemble Dong Song ceremonial bronze axes. They are worn around the neck or on the forehead.

Taka are among the most treasured heirlooms, handed down from generation to generation. They belong to the ancestors and are only occasionally used as marriage gifts. They are stored away and blood sacrifices are carried out before they are looked at or worn.

The shape is an elaborate open oval, the ends of which cross over each other and are beaten flat.

The symbolic omega open oval form appears in a variety of ornamentation. It goes back to Neolithic Taiwan in about 500 BC in the jade earrings of the Austronesian people and is found throughout Southeast Asia and mirrors the Austronesian diaspora. The greatest variety in form and size are in Indonesia.

The form symbolises the female genitalia which itself symbolises fertility and fecundity.

There are similar examples in Gold Jewellery of the Indonesian Archipelago, Anne Richter and Bruce Carpenter, Editions Didier Millet 2011, pages 208 – 209.

Early – mid 20th century.

Map of Flores.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Flores Taka 2 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Silver
Style: Central or East Flores, Indonesia
Size: Height 5.25 cm, Width 6 cm
Order Number: MHSAFT3

Flores is a long narrow island, with central mountains, and 12 ethnic societies. It was named by the Portuguese after the flowers on the east coast. Their jewelry is extravagant.

This double-axe pendant from Flores is called a taka in the Lio language. They resemble Dong Song ceremonial bronze axes. They are worn around the neck or on the forehead.

Taka are among the most treasured heirlooms, handed down from generation to generation. They belong to the ancestors and are only occasionally used as marriage gifts. They are stored away and blood sacrifices are carried out before they are looked at or worn.

The shape is an elaborate open oval, the ends of which cross over each other and are beaten flat.

The symbolic omega open oval form appears in a variety of ornamentation. It goes back to Neolithic Taiwan in about 500 BC in the jade earrings of the Austronesian people and is found throughout Southeast Asia and mirrors the Austronesian diaspora. The greatest variety in form and size are in Indonesia.

The form symbolises the female genitalia which itself symbolises fertility and fecundity.

There are similar examples in Gold Jewellery of the Indonesian Archipelago, Anne Richter and Bruce Carpenter, Editions Didier Millet 2011, pages 208 – 209.

Early – mid 20th century.

Map of Flores.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Flores Taka 3 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Gold
Style: Taka: Central or East Flores, Indonesia; Chain: India
Size: Taka: Height 4.5 cm, Width 5 cm; Chain: Height: 21 cm
Order Number: MHSAFT4

Flores is a long narrow island, with central mountains, and 12 ethnic societies. It was named by the Portuguese after the flowers on the east coast. Their jewelry is extravagant.

This double-axe pendant from Flores is called a taka in the Lio language. They resemble Dong Song ceremonial bronze axes. They are worn around the neck or on the forehead.

Taka are among the most treasured heirlooms, handed down from generation to generation. They belong to the ancestors and are only occasionally used as marriage gifts. They are stored away and blood sacrifices are carried out before they are looked at or worn.

The shape is an elaborate open oval, the ends of which cross over each other and are beaten flat.

The symbolic omega open oval form appears in a variety of ornamentation. It goes back to Neolithic Taiwan in about 500 BC in the jade earrings of the Austronesian people and is found throughout Southeast Asia and mirrors the Austronesian diaspora. The greatest variety in form and size are in Indonesia.

The form symbolises the female genitalia which itself symbolises fertility and fecundity.

There are similar examples in Gold Jewellery of the Indonesian Archipelago, Anne Richter and Bruce Carpenter, Editions Didier Millet 2011, pages 208 – 209.

Taka: Early – mid 20th century.

Chain:  Mid – late 20th century.

Map of Flores.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Flores Taka 4 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Gold alloy
Style: Kisar, Indonesia
Size: Height 3.5 cm, Diameter 8 cm
Order Number: MHSAKB1

Kisar, also known as Yotowawa, is a small island in the Southwestern Moluccas in Indonesia, 25 kilometres northeast of Timor.

During the Majapahit period (13th – 16th centuries) precious gold bowls were given as diplomatic gifts. It’s possible some were given to rulers in the eastern islands. Magnificent bowls of beaten gold were made on Kisar island, perhaps modelled on these bowls.

They were worn  on the top of the head or around the neck on a string as pectoral ornaments hung from the neck on grand ceremonial occasions. The base has been decorated to show four sea creatures, like lobsters, forming a mandala-like centre, ringed with decorative borders, that mirror the outer rim. The double ‘s’  or 8 decorations on the rim are similar to early Ming porcelain.

There is a similar bowl in The Jewelry of Southeast Asia, Ann Richter, Thames & Hudson, 2000, page 250.

19th century or early 20th century.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Kisar Bowl appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Gold alloy, stained red
Style: Makassar, Sulawesi, Indonesia
Size: Height 6.5 cm and 6.5 cm, Width 2 cm and 2 cm
Order Number: MHSAME1

Long ear-cylinders (subang) decorated with filigree.

There is a similar pair of earrings in The Jewelry of Southeast Asia, Ann Richter, Thames & Hudson, 2000, page 220.

Late 19th century or early 20th century.

Map of Sulawesi.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Makassar Earrings appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Gold, palm leaf
Style: Makassar, Sulawesi, Indonesia
Size: Height 8.5 cm, Length 19 cm
Order Number: MHSAMS1

Songko are Buginese male moslem hats.This one has gold and would have been owned by royalty.

Islam was introduced by Minangkabau missionaries from Sumatra and a history of extensive Malay settlement in the major trading city of Makassar, now Ujung Pandang, in the south.

Makassar, the capital of the kingdom of Gowa, was an important entrepot for cloves and nutmeg traded from the very small islands of  Ternate and Tidore in the Moluccas. The city also became a city of Islamic scholarship.

There is a photograph of a man wearing a similar one in The Jewelry of Southeast Asia, Ann Richter, Thames & Hudson, 2000, page 171.

80-90 years old.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Makassar Songko 1 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Gold, palm leaf
Style: Makassar, Sulawesi, Indonesia
Size: Height 9 cm, Length 18 cm
Order Number: MHSAMS2

Songko are Buginese male moslem hats. This one has gold and would have been owned by royalty.

Islam was introduced by Minangkabau missionaries from Sumatra and a history of extensive Malay settlement in the major trading city of Makassar, now Ujung Pandang, in the south.

Makassar, the capital of the kingdom of Gowa, was an important entrepot for cloves and nutmeg traded from the very small islands of  Ternate and Tidore in the Moluccas. The city also became a city of Islamic scholarship.

There is a photograph of a man wearing a similar one in The Jewelry of Southeast Asia, Ann Richter, Thames & Hudson, 2000, page 171.

80-90 years old.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Makassar Songko 2 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Wood, gold leaf
Style: Minangkabau, West Sumatra, Indonesia
Size: Diameter 18 cm
Order Number: MHSAME5

When the Minangkabau converted to Islam,  they kept their traditional law and matrilineal social organisation. They remain strongly Moslem and have blended the two systems. Property and inheritance follows the female line, but maintenance of adat, the traditional law, smooth running of society and settlement of disputes is the responsibility of senior men. Many events call for ceremonies.

In early days wooden headdresses (saluak datu batimbo kayu) were intricately carved, hollow and lightweight in imitation of folded cloth headdresses and then decorated with gold leaf. This one has clearly been used and has a crack. They have not been worn for many years and are mostly in private collections and museums.

There is a similar one in Gold Jewelry of the Indonesian Archipelago, Anne Richter and Bruce Carpenter, Editions Didier Millet 2011, page 281.

About 70-80 years.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Minangkabau Headdress appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Gold-plated
Style: Minangkabau, West Sumatra, Indonesia
Size: Height 50 cm, Width 42 cm
Order Number: MHSAMSBC1

When the Minangkabau converted to Islam,  they kept their traditional law and matrilineal social organisation. They remain strongly Moslem and have blended the two systems. Property and inheritance follows the female line, but maintenance of adat, the traditional law, smooth running of society and settlement of disputes is the responsibility of senior men. Many events call for ceremonies.

Minangkabau Bride and Groom.

The most elaborate head ornament is the suntiang worn by a bride at her wedding. If a woman does not have a large head of hair, a bun made of hair or finely cut pandanus leaves is attached to her hair to  support it. The most complex ones consist of a golden semicircle to which many gold or gilded ornaments are attached. Sprays of small real or cloth flowers are added.

Arranging this many-pieced crown takes well over an hour and is an art in itself. It weighs many pounds and the bride has to wear it for hours during the wedding ceremony and reception. Maybe this is the reason Minangkabau brides never smile!

Map of Minangkabau.

Mid 20th century.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Minangkabau Suntiang Bridal Crown 1 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Gold-plated
Style: Minangkabau, West Sumatra, Indonesia
Size: Height 42 cm, Width 35 cm
Order Number: MHSAMSBC2

When the Minangkabau converted to Islam,  they kept their traditional law and matrilineal social organisation. They remain strongly Moslem and have blended the two systems. Property and inheritance follows the female line, but maintenance of adat, the traditional law, smooth running of society and settlement of disputes is the responsibility of senior men. Many events call for ceremonies.

Minangkabau Bride and Groom.

The most elaborate head ornament is the suntiang worn by a bride at her wedding. If a woman does not have a large head of hair, a bun made of hair or finely cut pandanus leaves is attached to her hair to  support it. The most complex ones consist of a golden semicircle to which many gold or gilded ornaments are attached. Sprays of small real or cloth flowers are added.

Arranging this many-pieced crown takes well over an hour and is an art in itself. It weighs many pounds and the bride has to wear it for hours during the wedding ceremony and reception. Maybe this is the reason Minangkabau brides never smile!

Map of Minangkabau.

Mid 20th century.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Minangkabau Suntiang Bridal Crown 2 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.