Nose Ring
20th century (made)
| Place of origin |
A gold moti walla nose ring with a gold wire circular loop decorated with a network of pearls and gem-set motifs including a stylised peacock set in kundan. The centre of the ring is filled with a network of rows of seed pearls strung across and bound in fine gold wire. Seven clusters of tiny seed pearls with green glass beads and one with a red gem-stone are fixed onto this pearl mesh and also onto the edge of the pink and translucent- coloured stone-set peacock on the right hand side. A tear-drop shaped motif set with green glass and surrounded with seed pearls is centred between two pearls as a cresting to the gently looped pearls beneath. The lower edge of the ring has a red oval-shaped stone between two granulated gold pierced rings together with a larger pearl with twisted gold wire to separate them. The reverse of the peacock motif has an engraved design of the bird.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Gold wirework, granulation and kundan with pearls, seed pearls and gem and glass stones and beads. |
| Brief description | Nose ring, moti walla, in gold, pearls gemstones and glass. |
| Physical description | A gold moti walla nose ring with a gold wire circular loop decorated with a network of pearls and gem-set motifs including a stylised peacock set in kundan. The centre of the ring is filled with a network of rows of seed pearls strung across and bound in fine gold wire. Seven clusters of tiny seed pearls with green glass beads and one with a red gem-stone are fixed onto this pearl mesh and also onto the edge of the pink and translucent- coloured stone-set peacock on the right hand side. A tear-drop shaped motif set with green glass and surrounded with seed pearls is centred between two pearls as a cresting to the gently looped pearls beneath. The lower edge of the ring has a red oval-shaped stone between two granulated gold pierced rings together with a larger pearl with twisted gold wire to separate them. The reverse of the peacock motif has an engraved design of the bird. |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Given by Dr W. Ganguly |
| Object history | Dr Ganguly purchased this nose ring from Hans Weihreter, Augsburg, Germany, in 1993. This nose ring is part of the large donation of Indian folk jewellery from Dr Waltraud Ganguly which was collected over the last few decades before her death in 2015 from dealers in both India and Europe, in parallel with extensive fieldwork she carried out in the Indian Sub-Continent. |
| Historical context | Rings of this type were worn by women in the desert region round Bikaner and Jaiselmer. |
| Bibliographic reference | Ganguly, W., Nose Rings of India, Delhi, 2015
p. 76, illus |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | IS.117-2019 |
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| Record created | April 29, 2015 |
| Record URL |
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