Golden pendant Kaliya which acts as a canopy for a small image of Krishna – Goud, 18-21. carat gold, Rubies, diamonds and emeralds – India – Mogoelrijk (1526-1857)

This golden pendant is set with rubies, diamonds and emeralds. The form is of the multi-headed cobra Kaliya which acts as a canopy for a small image of Krishna who plays a flute. Krishna dances on the body of the cobra and is worked in gold and studded with emeralds. Kishnas' face comprises a single emerald carved with facial features. This sort of work is reminiscent of the Mughal preference for carving emeralds.The lower edge is lined with three rows of hollow gold beads (there is some minor age-related crushing to some of the beads, similar to other illustrated examples mentioned below.The reverse is of sheel gold chased and engraved with the back of the body and head of the cobra with the lower border comprising the heads and bodies of a addorsed serpents.The pendant had a good size and weight but is likely to be filled with lac. Small loops of the cobra probably once would have allowed for the suspension of small pearls or similar.Weight: 39.4 gramsThe gold: tested by a jeweler: between 18 and 21 caratsRef: a very dimular example which also had a carved emerald face for Krishna, is in the Susan Benningson Collection and is... lees verder bij Catawiki