The Radja of Simpang Olim was an Acehnese local ruler whose personal jewellery and regalia were discovered in his abandoned house in 1877 and acquired for the collection of the Batavian Society’s treasure room in Batavia.
Abandonment and discovery
The 1928 treasure-room guide describes the circumstances plainly: the items were “sieraden van den gewezen radja van Simpang Olim, aangetroffen in diens verlaten woning in 1877” — “jewellery of the former radja of Simpang Olim, found in his abandoned dwelling in 1877.” The word gewezen (former) and verlaten (abandoned) together indicate that the radja had fled or been driven from his residence, and that by the time the Dutch or their Acehnese allies entered the house, it was already empty of its occupant.
The year 1877 falls within the first phase of the Aceh War, which had begun in 1873 with the Dutch declaration of war and first assault on the palace at Kutaraja. By 1877, Dutch military expeditions were penetrating into the interior of Greater Atjeh, and many local rulers faced the choice between submission to Dutch authority and flight. The abandonment of the radja’s house at Simpang Olim likely reflects the disruptive impact of the war on the traditional Acehnese political order, as uleebalangs and lesser radjas were either displaced by military operations or chose to withdraw rather than submit.
The jewellery assemblage
The radja’s personal ornaments, catalogued in Cabinet 3 (Atjeh), items 2–42, form a remarkably comprehensive assemblage of Acehnese personal adornment. They include:
- A dagger (dolk) with black coral grip decorated with spinsbek work
- A small cap (mutsje) of multicoloured yarn with a golden, star-shaped ornament on the crown
- Rings of gold, silver, and spinsbek work, some set with stones, some plain
- Belts of gold chain with die-shaped clasps, and belly bands (buikband) of twisted silver cords
- Boxes of chased, gilt silver and of gold and spinsbek, for betel lime (kalkdoosje) and other purposes
- A remarkable pair of gold spectacles with extendable parts (gouden bril met uitschuifbare verlengstukken)
- An ankle ring of spinsbek, multifaceted
- Amulets and amulet chains, including silver chains with black stones in silver wire
- A crown ornament for a kopiah (koepiah), of gold with enamel
- A hair pin in the form of a kopiah crown ornament, described as a rare model (zeldzaam model)
- Bracelets and ankle rings in various styles
- A silver ornament for the end of a chain or rope used as a support for climbing house stairs, reflecting the Acehnese tradition of elevated stilt houses
- Children’s jewellery, including a bracelet of chains with a gold ornament
Significance
The collection is significant both as a record of Acehnese courtly personal adornment and as evidence of the upheavals of the early Aceh War. The quality and variety of the pieces suggest that even a relatively minor radja maintained a substantial collection of precious-metal jewellery, underscoring the importance of personal ornament as a marker of status and authority in pre-colonial and early-colonial Acehnese society. The gold spectacles, in particular, are an unusual and intriguing item, suggesting either actual use or a purely ceremonial function as a marker of learning and authority.
See Also
- Simpang Olim
- Abandonment of Simpang Olim residence (1877)
- Aceh War
- Acehnese Gold and Silverwork
- Koninklijk Bataviaasch Genootschap van Kunsten en Wetenschappen
- 1877
Source
Gids voor den bezoeker van de schatkamer, Koninklijk Bataviaasch Genootschap van Kunsten en Wetenschappen, Batavia, 1928. Druk: Ruygrok & Co., Batavia. Cabinet 3 (Atjeh), items 2–42.