Indonesian Hai Kara Jangga Ornamental Comb Diadem

Roosters along the rim, deer below them, and nobody stepping out of line.

This Hai Kara Jangga ornamental comb diadem comes from Sumba, Indonesia, and dates to the late 19th / early 20th century. Roosters and horses appear often in Sumbanese art, where they are widely associated with prestige, exchange and the island's noble households. The openwork crest here is cut with crested roosters strutting toward a central branching motif, with antlered deer and small standing figures in the lower register. A deep brown body, flecked with amber, is encircled by two broad bands of fine dotted incision above a comb of long, even teeth. It is 6 inches wide and 6.25 high.

The roosters clearly believe the crown is about them.