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Comments

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  Betty September 21, 2014 at 4:31pm

  Lovely, whatever the original purpose. A child's loincloths was also my first thought. What is its sie, please?
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  Lynn Ardent September 21, 2014 at 6:47pm

  Thank you Betty.  Including the bails it is about 59mm high and 50mm wide, a pleasingly round shape. 
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  Alaa eddine SAGID September 21, 2014 at 11:05pm

  It surely belongs to an array of ornaments known from south asia to the indonesian archipelago as "chastity" ornaments....the overall shape is very common in India on many pendants, but indeed the grannulation work reminds me of the filgree elaborate ones found among the Bugis people in indonesia!

  Still india comes first into my mind
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  Lynn Ardent September 21, 2014 at 11:27pm

  Interesting, Alaa!  Here are a few photos I found when I went researching the Indonesian versions. 

  

  
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  Lynn Ardent October 18, 2014 at 1:33am

  On VividVault there is a similar pendant said to be a Sri Lankan Bo Leaf amulet:  http://vividvault.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/DSC01554.jpg

  If the seller is correct, then I think this is Sri Lankan as the resemblance is strong. 
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  ingrid Langerak October 18, 2014 at 8:53am

  Lovely pieces and of interesting use in Indonesia
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  Preethi April 11, 2015 at 8:32am

  Hi Lynn, I would go with Indian or Sri Lankan. The floral motif is south Asian, rather than Indonesia - although I would have to dig through my books for references. I'll try to find Indonesian and Malaysian examples this weekend. But I believe Oppi Untracht writes that south Indian modesty plaques tend to have one loop on top, while the southeast Asian ones have more than one or have tubes. Considering that this has two loops on top and the design is rather like the south Indian ones, I would go with Sri Lankan.
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  Preethi April 12, 2015 at 11:42am

  "Modesty plates (jempang) and pendant discs (kawari) from south Sulawesi, late 19th-early 20th century. Small girls from noble and well-to-do families wore these and often little else." From Anne Richter's Jewellery of southeast Asia
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  Preethi April 12, 2015 at 11:45am

  "Fine gold modesty plaque (caping), 19th century. One of this quality would have been worn by a girl from a royal or aristocratic family. The embossed flower motifs represent the breasts, and the bamboo shoot at the bottom the female genitalia. Other motifs include the leaves and fruits of the mengkudu plant (Morinda citrifolia), which produces a red dye widely used in textiles to indicate high status." Source: Anne Richter's Jewelry of southeast Asia
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  Lynn Ardent April 13, 2015 at 2:43am

  Thank you Preethi for the information and wonderful photos, which I have not seen before.  I agree with your conclusions and think this is a Sri Lankan modesty plate.