Javanese court regalia parasols

This colored drawing records an ensemble of Javanese court regalia parasols (Bahasa pajong; Javanese songsong) displayed at royal audiences, receptions and processions in the courts of the sultans of Java, most notably Yogyakarta and Surakarta in central Java. They would be held above the appropriate dignitary, serving as insignia to identify each according to rank and status in the court hierarchy. Along with lances and ritual weapons, such parasols formed part of the palace’s treasured heirloom objects (pustaka), reserved for state occasions. Each parasol is distinguished by color, to denote the rank of the person it accompanied. In this drawing each parasol has a one-line caption written immediately below in a cursive Javanese script in a style consistent with that of the court of Yogyakarta, indicating the dignitary to whom each parasol was assigned, ranging from the crown prince and other members of the royal family to ministers, regents, and other court functionaries.