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Lot 26
 
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A Pair of Gold 'Pambadam' Ear Clips    


Gold

20th century
Tamil Nadu



Pambadam earrings have commonly adorned women in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala since the 19th century. In line with the deep-rooted traditions of serpent worship in the region, the unique shape of earring represents a stylised egg-laying 'pamba' (Tamil for snake), sitting on her nest, head erect and hood wide spread. The large applied gold balls on the earrings represent the snake's 'spectacle' markings. Before 1940, wearing pambadam earrings was an almost mandatory custom and they were given by parents to their daughters before marriage as a display of wealth and prestige. Made using wax-filled gold, the earrings are traditionally worn in distended lobes. The size of the earrings used to depend on the means of the wearer.




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  Lot 26 of 75  

24-HOUR AUCTION: INDIAN FOLK AND TRIBAL ART AND OBJECTS
21-22 AUGUST 2012
Estimate
Rs 1,75,000 - 2,00,000
 $3,245 - 3,705

Winning Bid
Rs 1,71,396
$3,174
(Inclusive of Buyer's Premium)






PUBLISHED:
Earring: Ornamental Identity and Beauty in India, Waltraud Ganguly, B.R. Publlishing Corporation, New Delhi, 2007 (a similar pair)

A similar pair has been illustrated in Traditional Jewelry of India, Oppi Untracht, Thames and Hudson, London, 1997 (pl. 443)



 



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