Necklace
20th century (made)
| Place of origin |
The necklace is made of individual gold struts filled with lac and strung together on three threads to make a flexible neck ornament worn as a choker on black textile cords with gold knops, which were renewed by the dealer who sold the piece to the donor. The individual struts are decorated with die-stamping with minuscule granules on ball finials at the top and a pendant tiny ball and faceted link below, which together with all the other strung units creates a fringe. A pair of wedge-shaped units terminate the flexible struts, one at either end, which are chased with an abstract kirttimukha design on the obverse. The reverse sides bear two different inscriptions punched in a South Indian script with Arabic numerals.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Gold, lac and textile |
| Brief description | Gold necklace from Kerala |
| Physical description | The necklace is made of individual gold struts filled with lac and strung together on three threads to make a flexible neck ornament worn as a choker on black textile cords with gold knops, which were renewed by the dealer who sold the piece to the donor. The individual struts are decorated with die-stamping with minuscule granules on ball finials at the top and a pendant tiny ball and faceted link below, which together with all the other strung units creates a fringe. A pair of wedge-shaped units terminate the flexible struts, one at either end, which are chased with an abstract kirttimukha design on the obverse. The reverse sides bear two different inscriptions punched in a South Indian script with Arabic numerals. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | Arabic numerals on reverse of right hand unit. 100 ... (untranslated Indian script) 34.800 ... (untranslated Indian script) (Punched inscription on the reverse of both ends (not translated), with Arabic numerals which possibly represents the weight of the piece. ) |
| Credit line | Given by Dr W. Ganguly |
| Object history | This necklace 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. It was shown at the exhibition in the Goldschmiedehaus, Hanau, Germany, 18 October 2013 - 18 January 2014. It was purchased from Hans Weihreter, a jewellery dealer in Augsburg in 1994 for 2493 Euros. |
| Historical context | Dr Ganguly suggests that this piece was worn by Malabar Muslims, but it might also be part of a set of marriage necklaces, mangkaliyam anivadam, for a Hindu bride, possible from the Nayar caste, ( see Untracht, 1997, fig, 492) |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | IS.171-2019 |
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| Record created | April 29, 2015 |
| Record URL |
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