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This exquisitely crafted Javanese necklace traces its origins to the tiger-claw amulets worn in India. This necklace consists of twelve graduated, stylized claw pendants and a central tortoise-shaped pendant made of hammered gold sheet using the repoussé technique. The curved pendants have long been interpreted as stylized tiger claws, like those worn by the youthful Krishna and the Buddhist bodhisattva Manjushri. Alternatively, they may also represent mangos, symbolic of the feminine life-giving power. A similar ornament dating from the early 10th century was found inside a jar in the vast Wonoboyo hoard excavated in Central Java in 1990.
Necklace
Eastern Javanese
12th century
Object Place: Central Java, Indonesia
Medium/Technique
Gold
Dimensions
Height x width x depth: 19 x 19 x 1.8 cm (7 1/2 x 7 1/2 x 11/16 in.)
Credit Line
Frederick L. Jack Fund
Accession Number1981.44
ClassificationsJewelry / Adornment – Necklaces and neck bands
This exquisitely crafted Javanese necklace traces its origins to the tiger-claw amulets worn in India. This necklace consists of twelve graduated, stylized claw pendants and a central tortoise-shaped pendant made of hammered gold sheet using the repoussé technique. The curved pendants have long been interpreted as stylized tiger claws, like those worn by the youthful Krishna and the Buddhist bodhisattva Manjushri. Alternatively, they may also represent mangos, symbolic of the feminine life-giving power. A similar ornament dating from the early 10th century was found inside a jar in the vast Wonoboyo hoard excavated in Central Java in 1990.