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Bracelet

ca. 1875 (made)
Artist/Maker
P. Orr & Sons (maker)
Place of origin
Madras (made)

This bracelet is an example of 'swami work', which was made in southern India. It was popular among Europeans in India. It featured images of Hindu deities in repoussé work on gold and silver jewellery. This bracelet was made Indian craftsmen working for the firm P. Orr and Sons in Madras. Swami work is described in the firm's advertising brochure following the Prince of Wales' tour of India in 1875-6. They had presented several pieces to the Prince and claimed an international market.

Object details

Category
Jewellery
Object type
Bracelet
Materials and techniques
Gold swami work
Brief description
Gold swami work bracelet made by P. Orr & Sons, Madras, ca. 1875.
Physical description
Flexible bracelet with six hollow plaques, each plaque with a repoussé figure of a Hindu deity on a ring-matted ground.
Dimensions
  • Length: 19cm
  • Height: 2.9cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'ORR 22' (Clasp)
  • South Indian names of the six Hindu deities depicted on the plaques of the bracelet
Gallery label
(About 1990)
This style was known as swami work as it depicted Hindu deities (the word swami means 'lord'). This piece depicts Vishnu (as Krishna, and as Matsya, the fish incarnation), Shiva, Ganesha and Saraswati. Lent by Mrs Sheila Horsburgh.
Credit line
Given by Sheila Horsbrugh
Object history
Made by the firm P. Orr and Sons in Madras.
Production
Donor of bracelet has dated the object to ca. 1867.
Subjects depicted
Vishnu
Ganesh
Shiva
Matsya
Krishna
Summary
This bracelet is an example of 'swami work', which was made in southern India. It was popular among Europeans in India. It featured images of Hindu deities in repoussé work on gold and silver jewellery. This bracelet was made Indian craftsmen working for the firm P. Orr and Sons in Madras. Swami work is described in the firm's advertising brochure following the Prince of Wales' tour of India in 1875-6. They had presented several pieces to the Prince and claimed an international market.
Bibliographic references
  • Stronge, Susan, Nima Smith and James Harle. A Golden Treasury. Jewellery from the Indian subcontinent. London, 1988, catalogue number 122 , p.107.
  • Untracht, Oppi. 'Swami Jewellery: Cross Cultural Ornaments' in: Stronge, Susan (ed.). The Jewels of India. Bombay: Marg Publications, 1995, pp.117-132.
  • Untracht, Oppi. Traditional Jewelry of India. London: Thames and Hudson, 1997, pp.388-392.
Collection
South & South East Asia Collection
Accession number
IS.5-2001

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Record createdApril 17, 2001
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O58380/bracelet-p-orr/
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