A gold 'monkey' mamuli ear ornament or pendant East Sumba Island, Indonesian archipelago, 19th century | 十九世紀 印尼群島 松巴島東 靈猴紋mamuli金耳飾

The Sumbanese believed precious metals had a celestial origin. The sun is made of gold, while the moon and stars are of silver. Gold and silver are deposited on Earth when the sun and moon set or shooting stars fall from the sky. Sumbanese regarded ornaments made of gold as a symbol of divine favour. They would commission gold jewellery to be used as ancestral heirlooms, and to ascend the social ladder by displaying these heavenly treasures at celebrations. 

Among them, Mamuli, usually made of gold or silver, are one of the most important ornaments typically used in the exchange of gifts associated with marriages and alliances. They were worn as ear ornaments when the Sumbanese practised artificial earlobe extension, but they could also be worn as a neck pendant. 

Mamuli also embodied Sumbanese's dualistic belief in cosmology: heaven and earth, male and female. It takes after the shape of omega (Ω), a fertility symbol representing female genitalia; the animals at the base represent the male aspect. In lot 1027, we have two whimsical monkeys, skilfully constructed with rotatable bodies, movable heads and arms. While in lot 1070, we have water buffaloes and Sumba-native cockatoos.

Sumbanese's mamuli has become so well-known that the omega form is often referred to by its Sumbanese name mamuli across Indonesia.

松巴島人相信黃金與銀起源於日月星辰。太陽由黃金制成，月亮星斗則由銀制成。每逢日落、月落或流星飛過時，金銀則會墜落到地面。他們視黃金為上天恩賜，更會特定訂造金飾作爲傳家之寶，或於重要儀式上佩戴金器以展示其地位與財富。

Mamuli耳飾可算為當中最重要的飾物。耳飾由金或銀所製，用作婚禮或結盟信物。松巴島人有耳洞拉長的習俗，時會佩戴Mamuli作為耳飾，也會掛於項鍊作為牌飾。

Mamuli象徵了松巴島人的二元論觀念：天地、陰陽、日月、晝夜等。他們相信萬物之中皆有陰陽。耳飾的形狀與希臘字母Omega（Ω）相似，象徵女性及繁殖力；耳飾下方的動物則代表著男性，例如拍品1027上的兩隻靈猴，及拍品1070上的水牛和松巴島本土鸚鵡。靈猴的身體、頭部、手部均可轉動，展現金匠高超的手藝。

松巴島的Mamuli於印尼久享盛名，普遍印尼人也會使用「Mamuli」一詞來表達Omega（Ω）形狀。