Subject: siulu / salawa chief
Culture: Ono Niha
Setting: slave raiding, tribal warfare, Nias 19thc
Object: kalabubu necklace
Dallas Museum of Art > Pacific Islands *
"Necklace (kalabubu) Indonesia: Nias Island 19th century
This circular necklace, called a kalabubu, has the bold form and refined detail that distinguishes Nias goldwork.
Diamond-shaped cuts in the gold foil reveal the dark polished-wood core.
Delicately engraved triangles give texture to the burnished surface of the gold.
This is a highly unusual example since most kalabubu are made of coconut shell discs.
A kalabubu symbolized prestige and success for the Nias headhunter."
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