Majapahit was one of the last major Hindu empires of the region and one of the greatest and most powerful empires in the history of Indonesia and Southeast Asia.

These rings are in fact much older and belong to the Proto-Classic Period between 200 AD and 700 AD. Before this gold items were just used in burial customs. Now we see a time when gold was used by living people. It was a time when Buddhism and Hinduism seem to have peacefully co-existed. Most, if not all gold, was probably imported from Sumatra and Borneo and the makers of gold objects started to use heat to work gold.

Gold had symbolic associations. In Hindu mythology the universe was born from a golden embryo. The creator god Brahma was born from a golden egg. The fire god Agni was symbolised by gold. Gold meant creation. The shadow puppets Rama and Arjuna were painted with gold.

Gold does not deteriorate, decay or tarnish, unlike bronze and iron, which rust and corrode. Even stone eventually crumbles, but gold is immortal.

Indian and Southeast Asian royalty were supposed to have an inner radiance.  They shone with golden light. Gold was a symbol of royal presence and royalty basked in the rays of yellow light emanating from their bodies, reflecting from jewelry from head to toe.

The ring displays a high degree of skill and attention to detail. The  gold wire is wrapped around the ring.

There are similar examples in Old Javanese Gold, John N. Miksic, Ideation, 1990, page 69.

NOTE: We are not selling the original of this ring but will make a copy.

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