A PAIR OF VERY RARE REPOUSSé GOLD DRESS ORNAMENTS WITH KINNARIS
Northern India or Himalayan Region, late 18th – mid-19th century. The central motifs of these two very rare dress ornaments of museum quality are traditional mythical Hindu characters: the kinnaris. In Hindu mythology Kinnaris are celestial creatures, being half man or woman and half bird, with large wings. Both female kinnaris are quite expressive, executed in repoussé and underlined with lattice gold work. A line of tiny inlaid emeralds set in gold flowers is found along the rim of each dress ornament, along with a row of small gold pendants, and another small emerald is inlaid above each kinnari’s head.
Provenance: From an important European private collection. Acquired in Asia between 1960 and 1970. A private owner, acquired from the above.
Condition: Several of the small gold pendants hanging from the ornaments are missing, the ornaments are in excellent condition with expected traces of age and wear as well as some minor soil encrustations.
Weight: 71.5 g in total
Dimensions: Width 10 cm each
Metallurgic analysis: Fine gold content 780/1000
Metallurgic Analysis
The data from the metallurgic analysis posted in the catalogue entry for each lot in this auction relates to the proportion of fine gold contained in the gold alloy only. It does
not relate to the gross weight of the lot, as the gross weight typically consists of the weight of the gold alloy and the weight of other materials added to the lot such as gemstones, soil encrustations, casting cores or other metals processed within the lot.