Locket Pendant, Possibly a Pomander, in Shape of Shell with Animal-Headed Cap Flanked by a Small Bird on Sides

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 463

The cap of the pendant takes the form of a makara (a fantastical aquatic beast) set with two turquoise eyes and a red stone in the center of its head. Makaras are Hindu mythological creatures sometimes composed of the body parts of many different animals and are prevalent in South Indian architecture. They are also often found on clasps of jewelry, and on decorative works such as ‘alams and ewers. Traces of a red residue suggest that the pendant may have been filled with an aromatic substancewhich would have escaped hrough the pierced openings

Locket Pendant, Possibly a Pomander, in Shape of Shell with Animal-Headed Cap Flanked by a Small Bird on Sides, Gold; cast, embossed and engraved, inlayed with turquoise and ruby

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Locket Pendant, Possibly a Pomander, in Shape of Shell with Animal-Headed Cap Flanked by a Small Bird on Sides, Gold; cast, embossed and engraved, inlayed with turquoise and ruby
Locket Pendant, Possibly a Pomander, in Shape of Shell with Animal-Headed Cap Flanked by a Small Bird on Sides, Gold; cast, embossed and engraved, inlayed with turquoise and ruby
Locket Pendant, Possibly a Pomander, in Shape of Shell with Animal-Headed Cap Flanked by a Small Bird on Sides, Gold; cast, embossed and engraved, inlayed with turquoise and ruby
Locket Pendant, Possibly a Pomander, in Shape of Shell with Animal-Headed Cap Flanked by a Small Bird on Sides, Gold; cast, embossed and engraved, inlayed with turquoise and ruby
Locket Pendant, Possibly a Pomander, in Shape of Shell with Animal-Headed Cap Flanked by a Small Bird on Sides, Gold; cast, embossed and engraved, inlayed with turquoise and ruby
Locket Pendant, Possibly a Pomander, in Shape of Shell with Animal-Headed Cap Flanked by a Small Bird on Sides, Gold; cast, embossed and engraved, inlayed with turquoise and ruby
Locket Pendant, Possibly a Pomander, in Shape of Shell with Animal-Headed Cap Flanked by a Small Bird on Sides, Gold; cast, embossed and engraved, inlayed with turquoise and ruby
Locket Pendant, Possibly a Pomander, in Shape of Shell with Animal-Headed Cap Flanked by a Small Bird on Sides, Gold; cast, embossed and engraved, inlayed with turquoise and ruby
Locket Pendant, Possibly a Pomander, in Shape of Shell with Animal-Headed Cap Flanked by a Small Bird on Sides, Gold; cast, embossed and engraved, inlayed with turquoise and ruby

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