Featured Warrior Bangle

This is another piece of jewelry I bought in Indonesia in 1991, in W. Timor. I saw an example online that called it a "warrior bangle." This one is almost child-sized, about 3 inches by 2 inches so it made me wonder if there was another purpose for it besides going to battle. It also has a heavy wear pattern on the front that must have taken years and years to create. I'm guessing it was owned by a woman and the wear in the front was caused by a lifetime of use. From that site I learned the Atoni people made them from coin silver. Anybody familiar with this kind of artifact, possible date, was it used by either sex? I bought it at a small shop in dusty Kupang. There was another with sharp spikes that didn't feel as heavy or old, perhaps made out of tin. The one I have weighs 125 grams. Thanks.

 

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These are usually displayed or listed as warrior bracelets or dance bracelets. Atoni men used to wear bracelets. They probably wore them every day, not specifically to go to battle. Warrior is often a Western name for any man considered tribal.
The Atoni women's bracelets I know are thin cuffs with a bud shaped bell on top:


https://www.deborahgarnercollection.com/products/antique-timor-silver-bell-bracelet


The size of your cuff bracelet would fit many Western women. It would fit me comfortably, and I am a European Indonesian mix, so slightly smaller than most Northern European women.

 

Thanks so much. That's very helpful.

 

Pleasure, Toba (and kitten).

 

Hi Toba,
I think a man could also have worn this 30 years ago. People generally have grown more in the last 3 decades and I have seen some men in Asia with very small wrists. There is quite a chunky look to it. I really like it.

 

Thanks, AuDragon.

 

My husband could probably wear it. He is also an 'Orang Indo' but more Indonesian (Java-Madura) than I am. He is 76, so older generation.

Indonesia is where Asia meets the Pacific, in every way, including the ethnicities. The west -Sumatra, Java, Madura, Bali- is more Asian, the east more Pacific, in the sense of etnicities, culture, and even flora and fauna. I think the people with the slightest frame in Indonesia are probably the Javanese.
Timor is pretty eastern, which means more towards Pacific. I don't know any Timorese personally, but I know many Moluccans, also eastern Indonesia, and the cuff would be too small for the men.
So we'd have to find an Atoni man with some Javanese ancestry.

 

The reason I went was because of fascination with the Wallace Line, which I learned about from an Australian doc called Ring of Fire. Ever watch it? The footage of Indonesia from the first episode is amazing...

 

I did.

Yes, that is fascinating. The way everything changes once you cross that line. Of course there are cross-overs in nature and culture, Asia and the Pacific are close neighbours, but it is the most distinct difference to be found on this planet.