Makara-Head Bracelet (Kada)
Dateearly 1700s
(not assigned)Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India
Mediumgold, enamel, ruby, diamond
ClassificationsCostumes and Accessories
Credit LineMrs. Kingsmill Marrs Collection
Object number1924.137
Label TextThis solid gold bracelet includes 54 diamonds set in the classic Indian kundan gem-setting technique that was perfected under Mughal rule (see label with photographs). The two heads are those of a Makara, an Indian mythical monster resembling a crocodile. Technically the enamelwork on the reverse surface (of blue and pink flowers) helped protect the gold against abrasion and stiffened the bracelet so that it could retain its form.
The enameling is executed by means of the champlevé technique. In champlevé the metal surface is first incised with a subtle texture or pattern and then covered with vitreous colored enamel pastes. Colored enamels are of different degrees of hardness; they are fired separately and in a specific sequence, from the hardest, which require a higher fusing temperature, to the softest, which require lower temperatures. The art of champlevé enameling was first introduced by European jewelers employed at the cosmopolitan Mughal court.
ProvenanceMrs. Kingsmill Marrs, Boston, MA; acquired in London in 1888On View
On view
