Not on display

Nose Ring

20th century (made)
Place of origin

A large gold nose ring, nath, with a gold wire loop with a pointed hooked end which slots into the coiled wire eye at the other end. The lower half of the ring is strung with an array of decorative elements, comprising hollow gold beads, angular discs with granular rims, a coral bead, a tear-drop reversible swivel setting of crystal against a tarnished silver foil backing, a pendant jhumka (bell-shaped ornament) and a curved setting of crimson, pale green and colourless gem or glass stones rimmed with granulation at the top and a row of radiating pearls set in splayed cups and threaded onto gold wire which is twisted along the back. The jhumka has a fringe of tiny strung seed pearls with granule finials threaded onto wire which is coiled round rings under a rim of small gold discs. The shoulder of the bell is decorated with lozenges of small granules and it is hung from a silver ring under a faceted gold bead and an annular disc of gold granules.

Object details

Category
Object type
Materials and techniques
Gold, crystal, coral and pearls. Granulation and wirework
Brief description
nose ring, nath, from the Deccan or Madhya Pradesh
Physical description
A large gold nose ring, nath, with a gold wire loop with a pointed hooked end which slots into the coiled wire eye at the other end. The lower half of the ring is strung with an array of decorative elements, comprising hollow gold beads, angular discs with granular rims, a coral bead, a tear-drop reversible swivel setting of crystal against a tarnished silver foil backing, a pendant jhumka (bell-shaped ornament) and a curved setting of crimson, pale green and colourless gem or glass stones rimmed with granulation at the top and a row of radiating pearls set in splayed cups and threaded onto gold wire which is twisted along the back. The jhumka has a fringe of tiny strung seed pearls with granule finials threaded onto wire which is coiled round rings under a rim of small gold discs. The shoulder of the bell is decorated with lozenges of small granules and it is hung from a silver ring under a faceted gold bead and an annular disc of gold granules.
Dimensions
  • Weight: 44.7g
  • Ring without pendant diameter: 8.8cm
  • Ring with pendant diameter: 11cm
Credit line
Given by Dr W. Ganguly
Object history
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. It was purchased from Amrapali in Jaipur in July 2007 for 1650 Euros.
Bibliographic reference
Ganguly, W., Nose Rings of India, Delhi, 2015 p.117, illus.
Collection
Accession number
IS.419-2019

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Record createdJune 23, 2015
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