Torc Cast Gold Indonesia, Nias

A gold necklace made from a spiral of twisted rope-like wire decreasing in diameter either side of the center and culminating in plain gold collars ending in a hook and clasp decorated with a circular disc.

Necklaces of this type, called kalabubu, were originally worn by male members of the village as ornaments symbolizing social standing through success in battle, but they were also worn by women who had priestly roles or as a sign of their rank. For an example worn by a priestess see Susan Rodgers, Power and Gold, Jewelry from Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines from the Collection of the Barbier-Mueller Museum Geneva, 1985, p. 83, fig. 76.