Naga ring

Object Details

• Description

  Exquisitely fashioned from 22 carat gold, the ring takes the shape of a coiled naga. The tip of its tail coils close beside the band, and the body spirals around the finger, culminating in a powerful face with bulging eyes, upturned snout, and mouth with fanged teeth and extended tongue. The serpent’s scales are individually articulated along the full surface. Left intentionally loose by the artisan, the tongue moves in and out, simulating a living creature.

• Label

  Prevalent throughout South and Southeast Asian art, serpents, called nagas, are positive symbols. They are the guardians of the watery underworld, where they reside in jeweled palaces and protect corals and pearls. In Southeast Asia, nagas also represent the bridge that connects the human and divine worlds.

  Exquisitely fashioned from 22 carat gold, the ring takes the shape of a coiled naga. The tip of its tail lies close beside the band, and the body spirals around the finger. It culminates in a powerful face with bulging eyes, upturned snout, and mouth with fanged teeth and extended tongue. The serpent's scales are individually articulated along the full surface. Left intentionally loose by the artisan, the tongue moves in and out, simulating a living creature.

  Large and imposing in appearance, this ring was an elite commission. The auspicious naga design was exclusive to the Thai royal family, the serpent's potency and power befitting of a king. The ring was most likely made for or on behalf of King Rama V, the legendary King Chulalongkorn who ascended the throne in 1868 and ushered Thailand into an era of reform and democracy. Cosmopolitanism characterizes King Rama V's prolific artistic and architectural enterprises. Through motifs such as the naga, his commissions further reflect Thailand's deep historical connections across South and Southeast Asia.

• Provenance

  19th century-?

  Probably Chulalongkorn (Rama V), King of Siam (1853-1910; reign 1868-1910), by commission possibly by or possibly for him in Siam (now Thailand) [1]

  ?-at least 1970

  Ownership information unknown

  At least 1970-?

  Amalin Sundaravej, method of acquisition unknown in Thailand [2]

  2015

  Sale, Melbourne, Australia, Mossgreen (active 2004-December 2017), “Fine Jewels & Watches” (sale number MG080), November 16, 2015, lot 60 [3]

  2015-2018

  Sue Ollemans Oriental Works of Art (established 2003), London, UK, purchased at November 16, 2015, Mossgreen Sale, Melbourne, Australia [4]

  From 2018

  National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, purchased from Sue Ollemans Oriental Works of Art [5]

  Notes:

  [1] See the Acquisition Justification, dated May 10, 2018, copy in object file. The Acquisition Justification states that “[t]he ring was most likely made for or on behalf of King Rama V, the legendary King Chulalongkorn, who ascended the throne in 1868 […].”

  [2] See note 1. The Acquisition Justification also states that the object had entered the collection of Amalin Sundaravej prior to 1970.

  Amalin Sundaravej is a human right worker active in Thailand and Australia. Sundaravej worked as the National Programme Officer for the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) in Bangkok, Thailand during the early 2000s,

  and as a settlement worker for migrants and refugee for an organization in Tamworth, Australia.

  [3] See Mossgreen Auctions, “Fine Jewels & Watches: Silver & Objet Vertu” [auction catalogue], (Melbourne: Mossgreen Auctions, 2015), lot 60. Object is described as, “A Thai gold Naga ring, Rattanakosin period circa 18/19th Century the coiled Naga with a moveable tongue has been finely engraved. 22ct yellow gold. Weight 19.67 grams. Size O.”

  [4] See the object information sheet from Sue Ollemans, undated (possibly received on April 19, 2018), copy in object file. The provenance is described as, “Ex collection of Amalin Sundaravej[,] Australia. I bought them from Mossgreen Auctioneers in Sydney [sic, Melbourne].”

  See also “Temporary Custody Receipt,” dated April 19, 2018, copy in object file. The object was transferred from Sue Ollemans, London, to the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery for acquisition consideration on April 19, 2018.

  See also object file for copy of Sue Ollemans invoice number US0122 to the Arthur M. Sacker Gallery, dated April 18, 2018. Object is described as, “A Gold Dragon Ring [/] Rattanakosin, Thailand [/] 19th century [/] 22 carat gold [/] Weight: 19.67 [/] Size O.”

  Sue Ollemans Oriental Works of Art (established 2003) in London, England, specializes in the sale of Chinese, Indian and Southeast Asian jewelry and objects, as well as Chinese ceramics and jades. Susan Ollemans began her career as a dealer in 1979 and initially specialized in Chinese ceramics. She has exhibited her stock at fairs including Fine Art Asia in Hong Kong, Asia Week in New York, and the San Francisco Art and Antiques Fair. Her clients have included private collectors and institutions, including the Brooklyn Art Museum, Philadelphia Art Museum, Middlebury College Museum of Art in Vermont, Asian Civilisations Museum in Singapore, and the Hong Kong Museum of Art.

  [4] See the Arthur M. Sackler, “Acquisition Consideration Form,” approved on May 16, 2015, copy in object file. From 2018-2023, the object was part of the National Museum of Asian Art’s Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Collection and on March 21, 2023, the work was internally transferred to the National Museum of Asian Art Collection.

  Research updated August 5, 2024

• Collection

  National Museum of Asian Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  The Art of Knowing in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Himalayas (March 25, 2023 - ongoing)

  Power in Southeast Asia (October 14, 2017 to March 13, 2020)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Sue Ollemans Oriental Works of Art (established 2003)

  Amalin Sundaravej

• Origin

  Rattanakosin, Thailand

• Credit Line

  Purchase — funds provided by the Friends of the National Museum of Asian Art

• Type

  Jewelry and Ornament

• Restrictions and Rights

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1800s, 1890s

• Name

  Sundaravej, Amalin, Sue Ollemans Oriental Works of Art

• Place

  Rattanakosin, Thailand

• Topic

  Gold, Art, Southeast Asian Art, Bangkok period (1782 - 1932 ), Dragon, Metal-work

• Culture

  Southeast Asians

• Object Type

  Ornaments, Jewelry