Sunday, October 21, 2012

Gifts of Grandeur: An Indian Turban Ornament, 1800-1850


Turban Ornament
Jaipur, 1800-1850
The Victoria & Albert Museum


Made between 1800 and 1850, this ornament was designed to be worn on a man’s turban. It’s likely that such a fine jewel would have been made for the Maharaja of Jaipur in Rajasthan by the royal workshop. Jewelers in Jaipur have long been celebrated for their high-quality, thin enamels. 


The ornament is made in the form of a peacock—an unusual motif for the era. Some speculate that rather than for the regent, the ornament was made for a ceremonial figure of the deity Krishna whose attribute is the peacock. 


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