Timor

The island of Timor belong to the Indonesian archipelago. It is surrounded by the Timor Sea and the Banda Sea. The eastern part of Timor form the Republic of East Timor while the western half is part of the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara.

From XIII century throughout the Indonesian archipelago and the Philippines began to Islamize while the East Timorese are left out of this great religious upheaval. At that time Portuguese missionaries settled in East Timor. They had managed to convert Tetum, the Catholic religion, for their part, the West Timorese protected by the Dutch remained Muslims. Over the years, the Portuguese missionaries had attracted settlers, soldiers, merchants forming a somewhat diverse community because of intermarriage between Portuguese and Timorese.

Some years after, the island of Timor was divided into two rival kingdoms:
- The western part was under the control of the Muslim kingdom of Sombay.
- The eastern part was submitted to the Catholic kingdom of Behale.

But the rivalry between the two kingdoms pushed the warring parties to seek military aid from the colonial powers of the island: the Portuguese for the kingdom of Behale, the Dutch for the kingdom of Sombay. In 1515, the two rival groups, one Muslim and one Catholic, fought the war and Topasses eventually prevail on both sides of the island, the Catholic religion has become a cultural weapon to impose on throughout.

East Timor remained away from the cultural and religious developments that marked the entire Indonesian archipelago (Because of the Portuguese colonization). From 1640, the Portuguese stepped up their political and especially military presence in Timor. Meanwhile, the Dutch expelled the Portuguese from the neighboring islands to settle in all over Indonesia and West Timor. In 1859 Portugal and the Netherlands signed a treaty defining the borders between the two Timor. The borders were recognized June 25, 1914 by the International Court in The Hague. In 1975 the Portuguese Parliament passed a law intended to prepare the election of a popular assembly in the Timorese territory and made ​​it known that Portugal's sovereignty over East Timor would end in October 1978. Portugal had chosen the option of independence for East Timor. December 7, 1975, the Indonesian army invaded the territory, which caused the immediate withdrawal of the Portuguese administration. There ensued a rebellion for more than 20 years. But 20 years of repression in camera, famine and armed resistance, a balance of 250,000 dead, did not break the Timorese, but rather have sharpened the determination thereof. August 30, 2001, the East Timorese voted overwhelmingly for independence. On May 20, 2002 was born the Democratic Republic of Timor Leste (East Timor).

Pilau cap Boko (Timor)
Period: mid-twentieth century
Material: Fabric, alloy metals, horns, hair
Function: Headdress Warrior