This is a pair of gold S-tail shaped ear studs, or ‘toge’, worn by the Bugis people of South Sulawesi. The outline of these ear studs features leaf motifs, and they are intricately decorated with applied filigree and granulation. These earrings are worn by wealthy women. Jewellery has many different functions in island Southeast Asia, for example it was used to indicate social positions, to symbolise the importance of the social relationship between the giver and the receiver during gift exchanges, and to serve as miniature religious objects.
