Bugis amulet, South Sulawesi, Indonesia

Magical disk called “kuwari” from south Sulawesi, made off high-grade silver.

Kuwari are a unique form of jewellery used by the Buginese and Makassarese. They consist of a pair of finely worked discs, often molded with magical symbols and Arabic calligraphy. These are hung using twisted colored twine on the chest and the back and are believed to protect against sorcery.

From the 1st half of the XXth Century or earlier.

Diameter: 8,5 cm
Weight:  47,9 gr

Literature:

“Ethnic Jewelry from Indonesia”, Carpenter, Bruce W., Editions Didier Millet, 2011
“Colliers ethniques d’Afrique d’Asie, d’Océanie et d’Amérique”, Leurquin, Anne, Skira, 2003
“Gold Jewellery of the Indonesian Archipelago”. Anne Richter, Bruce W. Carpenter, ed.Didier Millet, 2011
“The jewelry of Southeast Asia”, Richter, Anne, Thames & Hudson, 2000

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