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Lot 68
 
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A Pair of 'Kathila' Ear Pendants    


Gold

20th century
Kerala



'Kathila' literally translates as 'ear leaf'. These ear pendants are native to the Trissur district of Kerala, and are typically worn on a daily basis by women of the Mapilla community. "Making a pair of kathila takes a month...The very fine filigree decoration and appliqué are meticulously soldered on after a standard pattern...The design of both earrings could symbolise a fruit or banana flower. Shape and technique of fastening are almost identical to the old lunula of Arsakid time (third century BC-third century AD) which had a two-hinged movable loop" (Waltraud Ganguly, Earring: Ornamental Identity and Beauty in India, B.R. Publishing Corporation, New Delhi, 2007, p. 163).




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  Lot 68 of 120  

FOLK AND TRIBAL ART AUCTION
26-27 FEBRUARY 2013
Estimate
Rs 1,10,000 - 1,30,000
 $2,120 - 2,500

RESERVE NOT MET









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

A similar pair has been illustrated in Traditional Jewelry of India, Oppi Untracht, Thames and Hudson, London, 1997 (pl. 462)



 



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