Bracelet (Kangan)
Not on view
Bracelets with confronting animal heads can be traced to antiquity, and such imagery is found on many Indian jewels. This bracelet is adorned with what appear to be yali or makara heads-—fierce mythical creatures that are seen in architecture and decorative arts in the subcontinent.
This example is one of what originally would have been a pair. The silver surface has been embellished with enamel (minakari). This multi-step technique involves engraving decorative impressions on the surface of a metal object, which is then painted with viscous colored glass and fired into place. The process creates vibrant polychrome jewels and objects in a variety of patterns and colors.
This ornament was formerly in the collection of American artist and designer Lockwood de Forest (1850–1932) who purchased many jeweled objects while traveling in India between 1879–1881. Today, his collection of Indian jewelry in the Met serves as a near-comprehensive assemblage of late nineteenth century bodily adornment.
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