Title
Wedding pendant
Year/Period
Early 20th century
Region
Tamil Nadu, South India
Object Type
Technique
Dimension
Object size: 001: H1.5 x L1.8 x W1.7 cm,
Object size: 002 - 003: D1 cm each
Object size: 002 - 003: D1 cm each
Accession No.
1994-05163
Collection of
This group of 'ethanam' or pendants made of gold, form the central piece of a 'thali' or marriage necklace. The most auspicious ornament in a Hindu marriage ceremony is the wedding thali, where the groom ritually ties it around the neck of the bride and sanctifies it before a fire. It has always been worn as a protective amulet by the bride and a symbol of a groom's responsibility towards the family's well-being. Women donate gold thalis to female deities in the hope of having their wishes granted. The back of this pendant has a stylised tree signifying regeneration and fertility.
