Pair of Gold Leaf Appliqués

Two delicate gold appliqués, each shaped as a stylised heart or leaf form, hammered from
thin sheet gold and bordered with fine twisted wire. Each is decorated with a central raised
ridge dividing the form into two lobes, and a pair of repoussé rosettes. Tiny perforations at
the upper edge suggest they were once sewn or attached to fabric, possibly as part of courtly
dress, ritual textiles, or regalia.
The design — simple yet refined — reflects the Javanese courtly goldworking tradition,
where small repoussé and granulated ornaments were used to embellish ceremonial garments
and headdresses. The organic heart-shaped form, with its central dividing vein, evokes
the bodhi leaf, a symbol of enlightenment in Buddhist iconography, yet it also appears in
Hindu and pre-Islamic decorative contexts across Java and Sumatra.