Marriage necklace, Flores (Indonesia)
Marriage necklace from Flores island (Indonesia), made of gold, silver, carnelian and old multisalah beads.
Age: 19th century or early 20th, although some of the multisalah beads could be much older.
The orange-colored glass beads known as mutisalah are very popular on the eastern islands. The oldest ones are made of drawn glass and come from South India, where they have been found in megalithic sites dating back to 200 BC. For many centuries these beads were a popular medium of exchange. The next oldest type of beads, dating back to the ninth century, were rolled and came from China. In around 1200 they replaced what are known as ‘the Indo-Pacific beads.’ They in turn were replaced in around 1500 by European beads.
Because of their age, beads signify longevity. Perhaps because they resemble seeds of grain, they may also be associated with fertility. This makes them a good wedding gift. A pendant shaped like a fish tail also symbolizes fertility since fish lay many eggs.
Provenance: European private collection.
Round size: 58 cm
Literature:
“Magie van de vrouw”, Vanderstraete, Anne, wereldmuseum, Rotterdam, 2012, p. 332
“Colliers ethniques d’Afrique d’Asie, d’Océanie et d’Amérique”, Leurquin, Anne, Skira, 2003, p. 350
