Crown

CultureMoluccas peoples
Titles
  • Crown
Date16th–17th century
PlaceIndonesia
MediumHammered and repoussé gold
Dimensions13 1/4 × 14 1/2 × 3/4 in. (33.7 × 36.8 × 1.9 cm)
Credit LineMuseum purchase funded by the Brown Foundation Accessions Endowment Fund
Object number2006.538
Current Location
The Caroline Wiess Law Building
208M Mullins Gallery
Exposé

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Description

This crown symbolizes the fertility and longevity of a clan. The ancestor face represents esteem for the clan founder; the roosters, male status; and the Tree of Life, fertility and ancestral lineage.


 The Moluccas Islands are located in eastern Indonesia. The islands' many cultures used gold objects as signs of social status, and to celebrate new family alliances at marriages. Gold adornments, embodying the spirits of ancestors, help guarantee the survival of family lineages. This elegant crown was made to be worn by a female member of local royalty on important ritual occasions. Gold dangles attached with wire flash upon movement. The roosters represent male elements, and their feathers rise toward the face of an ancestor crowned with the Tree of Life, a symbol of community continuity.


 


Provenance[Frank Wiggers, Insulinde Indonesian Arts, Forest Knolls, California, before 2006]; purchased by MFAH, 2006.

Cataloguing data may change with further research.

If you have questions about this work of art or the MFAH Online Collection please contact us.

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