Pair of Kerala earrings

Historical period(s)
ca. 1880
Medium
Gold
Dimensions
H x W: 9.2 x 5.9 cm (3 5/8 x 2 5/16 in)
Geography
India, Kerala state, Travancore
Credit Line
Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Accession Number
F1990.3a-b
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Jewelry and Ornament, Metalwork
Type

Earring

Keywords
India
Provenance
Provenance research underway.
Label

Hollow earrings such as these, in which a loop links a pyramidal form that resembles a faceted stone, are constructed of soldered sheet metal. They are elaborately decorated with applied bead and wire designs of floral, diamond, linear, spiral, and other geometrical forms. Such earrings are typically worn by Muslim women in the southern state of Kerala along the west coast of India.

Published References
  • Dr. Carol R. Bolon, Amita Sarin. Metaphors in Gold: The Jewelry of India. vol. 6, no. 4 New York, Fall 1993. pp. 28-30, fig. 13.
  • Feldman Hapsburg. Gold: Important Ancient and Ethnic Jewellery. Geneva. cat. 39, pp. 34-35.
Collection Area(s)
South Asian and Himalayan Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
SI Usage Statement

Usage Conditions Apply

There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

The information presented on this website may be revised and updated at any time as ongoing research progresses or as otherwise warranted. Pending any such revisions and updates, information on this site may be incomplete or inaccurate or may contain typographical errors. Neither the Smithsonian nor its regents, officers, employees, or agents make any representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the information on the site. Use this site and the information provided on it subject to your own judgment. The Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery welcome information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.