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Details
- Place where the work was made
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South Nias
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Indonesia
- Date
- late 19th century-early 20th century
- Media category
- Ceremonial object
- Materials used
- coconut shell, brass
- Dimensions
- 25.0 x 22.3 x 3.4 cm
- Credit
- Christopher Worrall Wilson Bequest 2010
- Location
- Not on display
- Accession number
- 524.2010
- Copyright
- Share
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About
Nias society was once governed by a rigid hierarchical class system consisting of an aristocratic ruling class, commoners and slaves. An array of regalia was used by aristocrats and commoners to mark status, in accordance with wealth and power. Comprised of polished discs of coconut strung onto a metal band, the ‘kalabubu’ was worn exclusively by males and once restricted to those who had attained the status of a warrior or headhunter.
According to some early accounts of Nias culture, it was believed that an uninitiated wearer of a ‘kalabubu’ would be marked and punished by deafness. For the most chiefly aristocratic warriors, the elegant torque would have been covered in gold leaf, the ultimate marker of nobility and a connection with the gods. Following the prohibition of headhunting on Nias by the Dutch in the early twentieth century, the accoutrements of warriors continued to be used for ceremonial performances and honoured as ancestral heirlooms.
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Exhibition history
Shown in 2 exhibitions
A fine possession: jewellery and identity, Powerhouse Museum, Ultimo, 24 Sep 2014–20 Jun 2016
Glorious, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 27 May 2017–06 Jan 2019
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Bibliography
Referenced in 1 publication
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Niki van den Heuvel, Ancestral art of the Indonesian archipelago, Sydney, 2017, 54 (colour illus.).
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Provenance
Christopher Wilson, pre 1989-1996, Sydney/New South Wales/Australia, probably purchased on Nias, Indonesia mid 1970s or late 1980s.
Mariann Ford, 1996-Dec 2010, Sydney/New South Wales/Australia, inherited by from the estate of Christopher Wilson. Gift to the Art Gallery of New South Wales as part of the Christopher Worrall Wilson Bequest 2010.