Java Gold: The Wealth of Rings

Includes 350 items of stunning jewellery of Java gold from private collections Gold Rings are universally considered symbol of wealth, social status and power An embarrassment of riches for all jewellery enthusiasts!Java is outstanding for having produced copious works of art in the form of ring. The most unique ring types and finger rings of stunning variety and workmanship. Rings were significant symbols of wealth, social status and power As body ornamentation finger and earrings were widely distributed and most numerous among gold jewellery in ancient Indonesia from the 7th to the 15th centuries when Java was home to a series of spectacular Hindu–Buddhist kingdoms renowned for their temple sculpture and architecture. Traditionally great lovers of gold, the Javanese were also patrons of virtuoso goldsmiths and other artisans who produced a seemingly endless array of gold jewellery especially during the 13th and 14th century, a period that can be described as a Golden Age. The book includes more than 350 items of jewellery from private collections This pioneering overview on rings brings together a corpus of material that is both representative as valuable antiquities and of fine quality. The rings provide a small and wondrous glimpse of a long–gone era that lives on through them.