Hair Ornament
ca. 1850 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Elaborate head ornaments are a common part of traditional women's formal dress in India. This example is set with turquoises on one side and rubies on the other, giving each side a strongly contrasting appearance. It probably comes from Delhi. The pendants at the bottom have different shapes, including a crescent moon and a fish. The crescent moon is a motif associated with Islam, although it also features in Hindu art. The fish symbolizes fertility.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Gold, set with turquoise on one side and rubies on the other, with strings of pearls and pearl pendants tipped with green glass |
| Brief description | Hair ornament, Delhi, India, about 1850 |
| Physical description | Gold, set with turquoise on one side and rubies on the other, with strings of pearls and pearl pendants tipped with green glass. |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label |
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| Object history | Transferred in 1879 from the India Museum to the South Kensington Museum, which later became the Victoria & Albert Museum. |
| Summary | Elaborate head ornaments are a common part of traditional women's formal dress in India. This example is set with turquoises on one side and rubies on the other, giving each side a strongly contrasting appearance. It probably comes from Delhi. The pendants at the bottom have different shapes, including a crescent moon and a fish. The crescent moon is a motif associated with Islam, although it also features in Hindu art. The fish symbolizes fertility. |
| Bibliographic reference | Susan Stronge, Nima Smith, and J.C. Harle. A Golden Treasury : Jewellery from the Indian Subcontinent London : Victoria and Albert Museum in association with Mapin Publishing, Ahmedabad, 1988. ISBN: 0944142168
Cat.45,p.57.
STRONGE, Susan, Nima Smith and James Harle, A Golden Treasury. Jewellery from the Indian subcontinent, London, 1988, catalogue number 45, p.57-8
HENDLEY, Thomas Holbein, The Journal of Indian Art and Industry, Vol. XII, 1906-9, Part 1, pl.5, no.22 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 03181(IS) |
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| Record created | February 27, 2004 |
| Record URL |
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