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Java: Ornament with Three Dharma Wheels
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Java: Ornament with Three Dharma Wheels
INDONESIA, East Java; Majapahit Empire (circa 13th–16th century); Gold; H: 14 cm; Royal Tropical Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands
This ornament is thought to have been part of a headdress. It is made of gold in an openwork design, with three Dharma wheels representing the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.
At the top of the ornament is a makara, followed by a vertical band with a diamond pattern and an irregular-shaped Dharma wheel on either side. The third Dharma wheel is positioned beneath the band. On either side of the makara is a garuda with bands in their mouths. The entire ornament is decorated with blossoming flowers and scroll leaf patterns, and there are small leaves suspended from hooks along the top and down the sides. |
