Ear ornament or pendant (mamuli)

On the small island of Sumba, in the Lesser Sunda chain (Nusa Tenggara) that extends eastward from Bali, the quintessential ritual is the elaborately structured transfer of valuables that accompanies weddings, funerals, and feasts, and that also marks the transfer of land or property. On these occasions, heirloom textiles and jewelry are displayed, ancestral spirits are addressed, and sacrifices are offered to secure the blessings of the ancestors. Textiles and metalwork, especially gold ornaments, are indispensable components in the exchange, metal being the male element in this complementary male-female system, and textiles the female counterpart.

In the "mamuli," the classic simplicity of a basic cleft-diamond shape, which resembles the Greek letter omega, is complemented by clusters of tiny balls or by lively figures such as the monkeys depicted here. Formerly worn as an ear ornament but now used most often as a pendant, the "mamuli" exemplifies the multilayered significance attributed to certain metal objects in Indonesia. Depending on the type, "mamuli" are considered prestige items used for dancing and other rituals, sacred altar objects that aid priests in contacting ancestral spirits ("marapu"), or sacred heirlooms that are rarely removed from their special storage containers.

"Dallas Museum of Art: A Guide to the Collection," page 67