Borneo Dayak Brass Ear Pendants

Superb & Elaborate Pair of Man’s Aso Brass Ear Ornaments

Kenyah/Kayan Dayak People, Sarawak, Borneo

19th century

height: 5.7cm, thickness: 2.6cm, combined weight: 393g

This superb pair of man’s brass ear ornaments are simply the best examples of this type that we have seen, published or otherwise. Not only do they have dynamic curling form, but they have wear and a patina that is stunning. The wear is such that they have a buttery feel in the hand, with all their contours having been worn smooth from handling and wear. They are also remarkably heavy. As such they are both ear pendants and weights, designed to help stretch the earlobes to exaggerated lengths.

The form of these ear pendants appears based on the aso, a mythical underworld hybrid dragon-dog female fertility figure. Richter (2000, p. 174) says that such ‘curvilinear vitality’ may be derived in part from dragons or other mythical creatures portrayed in Chinese trade ceramics that were imported into Borneo in vast quantities.

The two are not identical but similar and clearly were made to be worn as a pair. Each has been made separately, using the lost-wax casting method. Each time an item is cast using this method, the cast must be broken and made from scratch, hence the two are not, indeed, cannot be identical.

Ear ornaments of brass were signs of prestige and beauty. This pair would have been reserved for only the most powerful and prestigious wearer.

A single, smaller example is illustrated in Brinkgreve & Stuart-Fox (2013, p. 251). Other smaller examples are illustrated in Rodgers (1995, p. 280). A smaller pair lacking any obvious patina are illustrated in Hoek et al (2004, p. 229).

The pair is in excellent condition. There are no repairs or any other condition issues. The two have a wonderful milk chocolate patina.

References

Hoek, C., et al, Ethnic Jewellery: From Africa, Asia and Pacific Islands, Pepin Press, 2004.

Richter, A., The Jewelry of Southeast Asia, Thames & Hudson, 2000.

Rodgers, S., Power and Gold: Jewelry from Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, The Barbier-Mueller Museum, Geneva, 3rd ed. 1995.

Provenance

Acquired in the UK, from the estate collection of Dr George Yuille Caldwell (1924-2016). Dr Caldwell, an English-born physician moved to Singapore in the 1950s, from where he built up a collection of mostly Borneo-related textiles and other ethnographica.

Inventory no.: 3939

SOLD