Pendant with Chain (1700s): Art, History and Details

Pendant with Chain (1700s) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

The central emerald has been subtly incised with a many-petaled lotus flower, a symbol of the sun, suggesting the radiance of the outsize gem. The enameling on the back depicts a peacock with a pair of peahens amid flowers. Peacocks signal the monsoon rains. The refined use of enamel indicates that this piece was assembled in the specialized workshops of Jaipur, but the size of the emerald suggests that it was made for imperial use.

Object facts

• Title: Pendant with Chain
• Date: 1700s
• Culture: Northwestern India, Rajasthan, Rajput Kingdom of Jaipur
• Type: Jewelry
• Technique: Gold, emerald, diamonds, enamel, and pearl
• Dimensions: Overall: 7.4 x 4.8 cm (2 15/16 x 1 7/8 in.)
• Collection: Indian Art
• Department: Indian and Southeast Asian Art
• Accession number: 1966.515

A detail from the museum

The bright color of the emerald indicates it was sourced in South America.

Collection credit

Bequest of Anne Jessop Smith

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.