This is a pair of rings worn by Batak men. The rings feature a lizard or possibly a ‘singa’ motif, both with protective, talismanic powers. The lizard, called ‘ilik’ or ‘boraspati ni tano’, is a crucial house-protection spirit, warding off evil influences and is commonly found carved on the windows and doors of houses. The lizard also symbolises prosperity and fertility of the earth. The singa is a mythical creature believed by the Batak people to have supernatural, protective powers, able to ward off evil. 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
