Title
Pair of Andi Baden Kathija earrings
Year/Period
19th-20th centuries
Region
Kerala, South India
Material
Dimension
Object size: L 9 x W 5
Accession No.
1999-00520
Collection of
This pair of large, pyramidal gold earrings is worn by Malayali Muslim women from Kerala of the Cochin area. The earrings are made from thin sheet gold with filigree wires soldered onto the surface. It is filled with a lac, a scarlet resinous secretion of the insect kerria laccacore. The size of these earrings suggests the wealth of the owner. The shape and the decorative pattern on this earring are abstract and geometric, echoing Islamic aesthetic adapted by local craftsmen.
