SOLD

cm 22 x 19 // inches 8.6” x 7.5

Belu/Tetum headdress used for ceremonies, made in coin silver alloy. This item is the result of the strong the syncretism between Christianity and Animism that characterizes the belief system of the people of rural Timor. The cross, Christian symbol par excellence, is is combined in a typical Timorese design in this elegantly crafted headdress. Headdresses like this are in fact normally used by Belu people both for Christian and Animistic ceremonies . Also the writing engraved in the front “Setia sampai mati “ means Loyal until the death, it can referred to both the Christian God and to Maromak, the supreme Belu deity. The old woman in the pictures was the owner of the headdress, portraied in her house, with other family members, while the men were out for work in the fields.