Old Sumba Island Brass Mamuli Necklace
…beautiful Collection and accent piece
Old Sumba Island Brass Mamuli Necklace on Red Ribbon, a beautiful Collection and
accent piece… Mamuli are precious metal ornaments of the Sumba
people, Sumba, Indonesia. They are found in the megalithic society of
the western Sumba people, e.g. the Anakalang society. The mamuli
ornaments have a shape which represents the female genitalia, symbolizing the
woman as the giver of life. Mamuli are the most important Sumbanese precious
metal valuables and are seen as heirloom objects which served in important
exchange rituals.
The mamuli can be plain (lobu) or decorated (karagat). The
basic lobu mamuli have the shape of a diamond with a concave center.
There is a round hole and a slit in the middle which represents the female
genitalia, a symbol of woman's sexuality and reproductive power. The
decorated karagat mamuli (also known as ma pawisi ("those
with feet") have additional finials at the bottom of the diamond-shaped
center which gives it the shape of the letter omega. Additional figures are
added on these finials, flanking the diamond-shaped female genitalia. These
additional figures can be of roosters, cockatoos, horsemen, buffalo, goats,
headhunting skull trees, or warriors; all symbols of male greatness. Thus, the
most decorated karagat mamuli are seen as male, while the simple
undecorated lobu mamuli are seen as female. During the colonial
period, Baroque versions of mamuli are carved, which included complex battle
scenes and movable parts.
Mamuli are always a precious metal valuable, usually made of gold
or silver. In Sumbanese mythology, precious metals are believed to be of
celestial origin: the gold are deposited on earth when the sun sets, while the
silver came from the setting of the moon or from the shooting of the stars.
Mamuli are basically ear
ornaments worn on elongated earlobes of females and sometimes male. A very
large mamuli are usually worn around the neck as pendants or hanged on the
headdress. A mamuli can also be worn as a brooch on jacket. As a brooch, a
mamuli is worn with other Sumbanese metal ornaments e.g. the flat
twisted maraga, the crescent-shaped tabelu, and the circular wula;
but the mamuli always has the best quality of all.
Mamuli play an essential role in the elaborate ceremonial gift
exchanges practiced by the west Sumba people. The giving of a woman in
marriage by one group to another is seen as the most intimate expression of the
gift of life. The group from which she originates is regarded as the
'life-giving' group to whomever she marries. Because of this concept, marriage
relationship is seen as key to the organization of Sumbanese society. Thus, the
society is divided into wife-givers and wife-takers. Mamuli are given by the
wife-taking group to their wife-givers in a marriage. They become the heirloom
of the family which is traded family to family and generation to generation.
The exchange of mamuli can also happen in a household and not through marriage.
For example, the pig is seen as the most valuable animal recognized as the
property of a woman. A man who wishes to use a pig must obtain the permission
of the woman who raised it and compensate her with the exchange of the mamuli
to "cool the trough".
Mamuli are also seen as sacred relics which are usually found kept
in the clan leader's treasuries. They are seen as a powerful relic to
communicate with the spirits of the ancestors…
Please see
detail photos which form part of the description… STU/A30
The measurements are
Size: 6 cm High X 1.5 cm
Thick X 5.5 cm Wide
Please email me with any questions or for a delivery quote
…or pick up from
Miranda in Sydney South
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Shipping Quote
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NOTE
Many of the items for sale at Jim’s International Bazaar
were collected by Jim on his around the world adventures as an author,
photojournalist and photographer. They include Turkish rugs, copper and
brass, and artifacts from
ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER
James Anderson
is an internationally renowned photojournalist and
adventurer, with two major photographic books (New Guinea & Cannibal), plus
covers and major spreads in a whole host of internationally prestigious
magazines from Life International to The Geographic and Argosy.
He's been shipwrecked in the Pacific, wrestled camels in
A blue-water yachtsman, he sailed his own 60ft yacht, the
"Moana Vahine", from Hong Kong to Southern Turkey, down the South
China Sea, across the Indian Ocean, and up the full length of the Red Sea, via
Singapore, Panang, Sri lanki, The Maldive Islands, and French Djibouti. An avid
diver and spear fisherman, he mounted a series of diving expeditions in The
In addition to several years in