Large Indian Brass Anklet
Large Cast Brass Anklet
Bengal or Bihar, India
19th century
height: 14cm, diameter at widest point: 14.2cm, weight: 1,834
Cast in brass using the lost wax (cire-perdue) process, this rather dramatic anklet seems more an items of sculpture than an item of personal adornment. Rather extraordinarily, it weighs almost two kilograms.
Cast with as a hollow cylinder, it is pierced and with bands of geometric and other motifs. The upper and lower edges are decorated with very dramatic appendages, almost like caterpillar feet, and a crown.
Similar examples in the Victoria & Albert Museum are illustrated in Wheeler (1956, p. 73) and in Barnard (2008, p. 98). These were collected in India prior to 1867.
The example here is in excellent condition, without losses or repairs.
References
Barnard, N., Indian Jewellery, V&A Publishing, 2008.
Wheeler, M. (ed.),
Textiles and Ornaments of India, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, 1956.
Provenance
UK art market
Inventory no.: 3687
SOLD
