Girdle

Jewels worn around the waist are known from sculptures of goddesses in India since antiquity. This heavy silver example is evidence that this type of ornament continued to be worn into the nineteenth century. Braided silver wire belts of this type are known to have been produced in Maharashatra and Andhra Pradesh.

This jewel was formerly in the collection of American artist and designer Lockwood de Forest (1850–1932) who purchased many items while traveling in India between 1879–1881. He collected many different examples of jewelry from India, sometimes several examples of the same type. Today, his assemblage in the Met serves as an in-depth study collection of Indian jewelry from the late nineteenth century.