A digital archive showcasing the extensive collection of jewellery and adornment images shared on the former Ethnic Jewels Ning site over the years. These images have significantly enriched discussions on cultural adornment and its global dispersion.
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https://ethnicjewels.ning.com/photo/large-gold-indian-neckpiece?cont...
The shape put me in mind of this lovely piece, but I have no info ! ( Sorry it's not from Morocco so I can't be so helpful!!!)
S x
I found similar examples on page 120 of Anne van Cutsem's "A World of Earrings". The caption to a page with several different examples reads: "India, Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The pendants above are worn by Malayalam Muslims. ...Those on the bottom right (which look to me to be the closest match) represent mount Meru, axis of the world."
I know I have also seen photos of other examples that are quite similar in other books. I will take a look to see if I can find them.
Thanks very much for the info Zareen! It's really interesting that a design worn by Muslims would carry the symbol of Mount Meru, which is a sacred mountain in the Hindu and Buddhist traditions. But then, India is such a melting pot that this is not surprising.
If the earrings are called Ananthamudichu (eternal knot), I was wondering if they signify the knotted darba grass that is worn on the finger during several Hindu ceremonies.
I would love to hear about any other examples that you come across, and any further information on their symbolism.
I was drawn to the geometric shapes near the point of the earrings and that's why I was able to remember having seen them. I'll have a look and see what else I can find.
They could well be from Tamil Nadu, and if they are not they are from an area very close to it: definitely from the south of India. See Oppi Untracht for pieces of this nature: he may even include these, and in any case that is the book to go to if you want to consult the best source.
Couldn't find a reference to a similar pair such as these in Oppi Untracht's book, but did find a great description in Waltraud Ganguly's Earrings: Ornamental Identity and Beauty in India.
She writes that these are from Tamil Nadu. "Anantha is the serpent on which Vishnu reposes. The snake symbolises eternity or the endless. Mudichu, the endless knot has a similar meaning. Ananthamudichu were common until the late 1950's, now they are practically extinct. The V&A museum owns a pair which is recorded as worn by peasant women of the west provinces of Ceylon. This record entry indicates that Tamils in Sri Lanka wore the same jewellery as those on mainland India."
Fascinating information! It would then make sense that the pointed part of the earring symbolises Mount Meru, around which the snake-god of Hindu mythology wrapped himself in one of the stories.
Delighted, Preethi, that you found that information. It always seemed likely enough that they were from Tamil Nadu, as we discussed before, but it is really great to learn more about them. Books are just so vital if one wants to know what one is looking at ...
I think Waltraud Ganguly's book on earrings is a wonderful book when you collect Indian earrings. So much information and special is she has so many pictures of the people wearing them. She has been traveling a lot in India, she is lucky with a husband who speaks the language!
Excellent, Preethi and Harald, to have such informative statements about books as well as jewellery! Many thanks.