Java, gold ornament - Lot 6

Java, gold ornament Solid gold cylindrical ornament in the shape of a C (i.e. a ring with a lateral slit), its sides tapered and openworked. It is adorned with at least three anthropomorphic figures, possibly kinnaras, each with distinct features and arms outstretched as if in ecstasy. Java, 8th or 9th century A.D. Width: approx. 2 cm, Depth: 1 cm, Weight: 12 g. Quite heavy in the hand, its use is uncertain: weight for a belt, ear ornament, or ritual chopstick tip. Large quantities of gold jewelry from this period have been discovered in Java. It was a time when Buddhism and Hinduism seem to have coexisted peacefully. Tiny traces of earth indicate that it was buried in the past. Provenance: - Collection of Tom White MBE, a former British diplomat who served in Southeast Asia in the 1960s and 1970s. - Michael Backman Ltd Gallery, London (certificate attached). References : - Bremer S., Goud der Goden: Uitt het oude Java, Wereldmuseum Rotterdam Publishers, 2014. - Miksic J., Old Javanese Gold, Ideation, 1990, p. 75. - Polak J., Ancient Indonesian Gold of the Central and Eastern Javanese Periods 750-1550: A Selection, C. Zwartenkot Art Books, 2022.