Indonesian Hai Kara Jangga Ornamental Comb Diadem
Product ID: A2300-188
$2,950.00
About this piece
Two horses rear to face each other, cut from a piece of shell.
Artists of Sumba, Indonesia, made this hai kara jangga, an ornamental comb diadem, in shell in the late 19th or early 20th century. Such combs are commonly associated with Sumbanese nobility and festive dress, worn upright in the hair. A tall, cut-out crown shows paired, rearing horses and stylized motifs, above a row of fine teeth. The shell has the mottled amber and dark brown of tortoiseshell, with a warm, glossy finish.
About 5 inches across. A crown with a comb attached, and a lot of lace-work.
