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Not currently on display at the V&A

Nose Ring

20th century (made)
Place of origin

A large, heavy gold nath made of a gold wire loop with a hook and eye fastening. The design of the decoration is dominated by a large pearl encrusted circular element flanked by a stylised peacock and a smaller pendant stylised lotus bud. The main circular ornament is slotted onto the loop and is made from a perforated circular gold sheet, onto which several layers of seed pearls threaded into individual loops are fixed onto the back plate by fine gold wire. A wheel-like central motif set with a central turquoise and surrounded by foiled crimson glass stones and chips of colourless glass or crystal is rimmed with a row of pearls threaded through rings on the ends of the 'spokes'. A string of pearls is twisted round the outer edge of this pearl motif and threaded through some of the outer row of perforated holes on the back plate. To the right of this ornament there is slotted a stylised peacock in a repoussé gold kundan setting of green and crimson foiled glass encircled with a row of pearls. On the left hand side there is a larger pearl threaded onto the nose ring together with other smaller pearls and three pale green glass discs with faceted edges. A pendant setting of a lotus bus mounted with crimson glass stones and a turquoise is threaded through a ring at its apex. Three further rings are linked to rings, each supporting three pendant oval seed pearls.


Object details

Category
Object type
Materials and techniques
Gold, pearls, turquoise and glass
Brief description
Nath with stylised peacock and lotus
Physical description
A large, heavy gold nath made of a gold wire loop with a hook and eye fastening. The design of the decoration is dominated by a large pearl encrusted circular element flanked by a stylised peacock and a smaller pendant stylised lotus bud. The main circular ornament is slotted onto the loop and is made from a perforated circular gold sheet, onto which several layers of seed pearls threaded into individual loops are fixed onto the back plate by fine gold wire. A wheel-like central motif set with a central turquoise and surrounded by foiled crimson glass stones and chips of colourless glass or crystal is rimmed with a row of pearls threaded through rings on the ends of the 'spokes'. A string of pearls is twisted round the outer edge of this pearl motif and threaded through some of the outer row of perforated holes on the back plate. To the right of this ornament there is slotted a stylised peacock in a repoussé gold kundan setting of green and crimson foiled glass encircled with a row of pearls. On the left hand side there is a larger pearl threaded onto the nose ring together with other smaller pearls and three pale green glass discs with faceted edges. A pendant setting of a lotus bus mounted with crimson glass stones and a turquoise is threaded through a ring at its apex. Three further rings are linked to rings, each supporting three pendant oval seed pearls.
Dimensions
  • Weight: 70.2g
  • Height: 9.5cm
  • Width: 9cm
Credit line
Given by Dr W. Ganguly
Object history
Dr Ganguly purchased this nose ring from Mahendra, a dealer in Delhi in 2012 who told her that he had obtained it from a woman whose grandmother from Indore had worn it. Dr Ganguly bought it for 5160 Euros in February 2012.
Bibliographic references
  • Ganguly, W., Nose Rings of India, Delhi, 2015 p.116, illus.
  • Indian folk jewellery : designs and techniques / Waltraud Ganguly. Number: 9789350502129, 9350502127 p.43, illus.
Collection
Accession number
IS.99-2019

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Record createdApril 29, 2015
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