Nose Ring thumbnail 1
Not on display

Nose Ring

20th century (made)
Place of origin

A gold nose ring with a plain gold wire loop and a hook at the top and a decorated crescent-shaped filigree band in the lower part. The crescent is made up of a lattice of thin gold wire with tiny quatrefoils of granules applied at the intersections. This is edged with two rows of twisted wire resembling a plait at the lower edge and a wrapped length of wire between two finer strands and topped with a row of delicate butted rings and granules of gold along the inner edge. A number of seed pearls in two rows (most are now missing from the upper tier) are attached to this lattice with twists of fine gold wire, and a cluster of a further three seed pearls is attached to a tear-drop setting of a red glass stone. The other end is decorated with a circular shaped green glass stone in a similar linked ring setting. The lower edge of the ring has a radiating fringe of irregular pearls with octahedron finials and splayed cup settings fused together. At the right hand end of this ornamentation there is a small die-stamped peacock turning its head over its wing soldered onto the end of the loop.The filigree crescent is strengthened at the back with an undulation of twisted brass wire. The hook is fastened into a double-twisted piece of gold wire which is beaten and soldered onto the crescent. A shallow-domed jhumka is threaded onto this wire and is decorated with concentric rows of wirework with a pendant fringe of irregular seed pearls witha red glass stone set on the ring through which the fastening passes.

Object details

Category
Object type
Materials and techniques
Gold, pearls, glass and brass. Filigree wirework
Brief description
Gold nose ring in gold, pearls and glass from Karnataka
Physical description
A gold nose ring with a plain gold wire loop and a hook at the top and a decorated crescent-shaped filigree band in the lower part. The crescent is made up of a lattice of thin gold wire with tiny quatrefoils of granules applied at the intersections. This is edged with two rows of twisted wire resembling a plait at the lower edge and a wrapped length of wire between two finer strands and topped with a row of delicate butted rings and granules of gold along the inner edge. A number of seed pearls in two rows (most are now missing from the upper tier) are attached to this lattice with twists of fine gold wire, and a cluster of a further three seed pearls is attached to a tear-drop setting of a red glass stone. The other end is decorated with a circular shaped green glass stone in a similar linked ring setting. The lower edge of the ring has a radiating fringe of irregular pearls with octahedron finials and splayed cup settings fused together. At the right hand end of this ornamentation there is a small die-stamped peacock turning its head over its wing soldered onto the end of the loop.The filigree crescent is strengthened at the back with an undulation of twisted brass wire. The hook is fastened into a double-twisted piece of gold wire which is beaten and soldered onto the crescent. A shallow-domed jhumka is threaded onto this wire and is decorated with concentric rows of wirework with a pendant fringe of irregular seed pearls witha red glass stone set on the ring through which the fastening passes.
Dimensions
  • Weight: 15.7g
  • Height: 4.5cm
  • Width: 6cm
Credit line
Given by Dr W. Ganguly
Object history
Dr Ganguly purchased this nose ring from Vithaldas, a jewellers in Hyderabad in October 1999.
Bibliographic references
  • Ganguly, W., Nose Rings of India, Delhi, 2015 P.113, illus.
  • Indian folk jewellery : designs and techniques / Waltraud Ganguly. Number: 9789350502129, 9350502127 p.82, p.81, illus
Collection
Accession number
IS.121-2019

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Record createdApril 29, 2015
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