A ''Suntiang'' is an elaborate
crown
A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, partic ...
worn normally by
Minangkabau women in
Sumatra
Sumatra is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the sixth-largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 (182,812 mi.2), not including adjacent i ...
for festive occasions. It has the shape of a radiant fan and is made out of
gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...
en materials such as brass and copper.
A piece worn by a
bride
A bride is a woman who is about to be married or who is newlywed.
When marrying, the bride's future spouse, (if male) is usually referred to as the ''bridegroom'' or just ''groom''. In Western culture, a bride may be attended by a maid, brides ...
(referred to as Anak Daro) for a wedding is called ''Suntiang Gadang'', while the one worn by traditional dancers is called ''pasumandan''. The suntiang is worn at the wedding party, and is quite heavy, weighing up to 3.5 kilograms.
The headpiece's weight is meant to symbolize the burdens that may arise after marriage, like motherhood and furthering the bride's marriage. In the bride wearing the ornament, the message is conveyed that she can carry the weight of a relationship.
References
External links
* http://www.creative-museum.com/en/content/minangkabau-crown-bride-sumatra-6
Image gallery of various ''Suntiang''
Crowns (headgear)
Minangkabau
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