Padung-Padung: A Cultural Identity of Karo Women in the 19th-20th Centuries in the Records of Foreign Explorers

Abstract

The exotic natural beauty, indigenous lifestyles, traditional architecture, wearable artifacts, and other cultural uniqueness of Tanah Karo in North Sumatra intrigued foreign explorers during the 19th to 20th centuries. One of the cultural artifacts that caught their attention was padung-padung jewelry, large silver earring shaped like a double spiral. This jewelry serves as a cultural identity for Karo women and symbolizes the essence of Karo tribal culture, making it a prominent topic in the explorers’ journals. Notable explorers documenting padung-padung include Jules Clane, J. H. Neumann, J. E. Jasper, Mas Pirngadie, and Edwin Meyer Loeb. This article explores Karo culture materialized in padung-padung, as perceived by foreign explorers. The explorers' notes become one of the references to study Karo culture at that time, especially about padung-padung and Karo women. The study employs the ethnohistorical method, combining old literature research and interviews with knowledgeable sources. Findings reveal that padung-padung was worn by Karo women from high social status, emphasizing their significant role within the patriarchal culture.