Nose Ring thumbnail 1
Not on display

Nose Ring

20th century (made)
Place of origin

A small gold nose ring with a tapering hollow gold loop filled with lac at the top which slots into a three centimetre length of coiled gold wire as a fastening on the right hand side. The lowest centimetre of the coil is wrapped with a string of seed pearls. Below this the gold wire loop has a section which is threaded with a pair of opaque white glass beads, two green glass disc-shaped beads and a faceted teardrop-shaped red glass bead in the centre. The junction of the wire loop with the wider end of the tapered hollow loop is covered with a decorative gold element with a central band of applied rosettes alternating with little lozenges set now with a turquoise and a green glass stone, the others having disappeared from what was presumably an alternating colour scheme originally. Either side of this band there is a string of tiny seed pearls wrapped round this element which is threaded onto the nose ring. Above this the hollow gold loop is embellished with four square-set alternating red glass and turquoise stones set at an angle with granules in between.

Object details

Category
Object type
Materials and techniques
Gold, glass, pearls and turquoise
Brief description
nose ring
Physical description
A small gold nose ring with a tapering hollow gold loop filled with lac at the top which slots into a three centimetre length of coiled gold wire as a fastening on the right hand side. The lowest centimetre of the coil is wrapped with a string of seed pearls. Below this the gold wire loop has a section which is threaded with a pair of opaque white glass beads, two green glass disc-shaped beads and a faceted teardrop-shaped red glass bead in the centre. The junction of the wire loop with the wider end of the tapered hollow loop is covered with a decorative gold element with a central band of applied rosettes alternating with little lozenges set now with a turquoise and a green glass stone, the others having disappeared from what was presumably an alternating colour scheme originally. Either side of this band there is a string of tiny seed pearls wrapped round this element which is threaded onto the nose ring. Above this the hollow gold loop is embellished with four square-set alternating red glass and turquoise stones set at an angle with granules in between.
Dimensions
  • Weight: 4.9g
  • Diameter: 3.2cm
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. She purchased from Amrapali for 140 Euros, together with Prov.1259-2015, and Prov.1261-2015, which share similar decorative characteristics and the same means of fastening.
Bibliographic reference
Ganguly, W., Nose Rings of India, Delhi, 2015 P.120, illus.
Collection
Accession number
IS.425-2019

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Record createdJune 23, 2015
Record URL
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