Indonesian Hai Kara Jangga Ornamental Comb Diadem

Two roosters puff out their chests on either side of a figure wearing a sunburst.

This Hai Kara Jangga ornamental comb diadem is from Sumba, Indonesia, and dates to the late 19th / early 20th century. On Sumba, these tall combs are generally said to have been worn by noblewomen on ceremonial occasions, their crests functioning as small displays of status. Here a central human figure with a radiating headdress stands between two large roosters, with deer and spiky plant forms tucked below. The surface is a reddish, mottled brown, and the wide band beneath the crest is scored with rows of fine parallel and dotted lines. It is 5.63 inches wide and 6.25 high.

Everyone in this crowd is dressed for the occasion.