Pectoral (marangga)
20th century, 1950–2000
Object PlaceWest Sumba, Nusa Tenggara (Lesser Sunda Islands), Indonesia
Medium/TechniqueCopper alloy
DimensionsOverall: 19 x 26.5 cm (7 1/2 x 10 7/16 in.)
Credit LineGift of Geneviève McMillan in memory of Reba Stewart
Accession number2009.2662
On View
Not on viewClassificationsJewelry / Adornment
Collections
With their elegant shape, pectorals from western Sumba, called marangga, are among the most iconic works from Indonesia. Originally created from precious metal such as gold or silver, artists have more recently fashioned them from alloys of other metals. Marangga were among the heirlooms clans accumulated over time and displayed during feasts. These objects represented the wealth of their owners, embodied histories, and alluded to ritualized exchanges of valuables between families that helped reenact and confirm alliances, such as marriages.
Provenance1980, acquired in Paris by Geneviève McMillan (b. 1922 - d. 2008), Cambridge, MA; 2008, to the Geneviève McMillan and Reba Stewart Foundation, Cambridge; 2009, gift of the Geneviève McMillan and Reba Stewart Foundation to the MFA. (Accession Date: June 17, 2009)
20th century
early to mid-20th century
early to mid-20th century
early to mid-20th century
20th century