Pair of Nilgiri Earrings

Object Details

• Description

  A pair of gold earrings composed of various geometric elements, including spheres, circles, cones, arches and trefoils. The shapes are made of sheet metal, attached with solder and have flat, fairly polished surfaces.

• Label

  Since ancient times, gold in India was understood to have a positive and purifying effect on its wearer. Equally potent is the reference to snakes encoded within the geometry of these tribal earrings, known as pambadam (pambu means serpent in Tamil). Each form-sphere, cone, arch, circle, and trefoil-has the name of a part of the serpent's anatomy. In Hindu tradition, snakes are recognized as protectors of deities and guardians of treasures. Such earrings are still worn by village women in the southern part of Tamil Nadu.

• Provenance

  ?-1990

  Mallett at Bourdon House Limited (J. S. Yorke), London, England, method of acquisition unknown [1]

  From 1990

  Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from Mallett at Bourdon House Limited [2]

  Notes:

  [1] See Mallett at Bourdon House “Statement” to the Freer Gallery of Art, dated March 30, 1990, copy in object file. Object is listed under invoice number BH19378, originally issued on January 29, 1990.

  Mr. J. S. Yorke, the Director of Mallet at Bourdon House Limited, shipped the earrings to his friend Giles Hutchinson-Smith of Fleming and Meers, Antique Dealers, located at Hamilton Court, 1228 31st St NW in Washington, DC. See letter from J. S. Yorke, Director, Mallett at Bourdon House Limited, to Carol Bolon, Curator, dated January 4, 1990, copy in object file. Giles Hutchinson-Smith then hand delivered the earring to the Freer Gallery of Art on January 8, 1990. See letter from the Registrar to J. S. Yorke, dated January 8, 1990, copy in object file.

  Mallett at Bourdon House Limited was a dealer in Mayfair neighborhood of London. Established in 1962, Mallett at Bourdon House was associated with Mallett & Son Antiques (1865-2017) in London. Mallett at Bourdon House specialized in antique furniture, fine art, and accessories from Europe; however, they also sold Chinese ceramics, Chinese and Japanese lacquer, and Indian jewelry. The business closed in 2007 and some of the remaining stock was sold at Sotheby’s in March 2007.

  [2] See Freer Gallery of Art “Acquisition Consideration Form,” approved on March 21, 1990, copy in object file.

  Research updated March 8, 2023

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Body Image (October 14, 2017 - ongoing)

  Gold: The Asian Touch (September 10, 2005 to February 20, 2006)

  South Asian Sculpture (February 22, 2000 to June 18, 2003)

  South and South East Asian Art (May 9, 1993 to February 7, 2000)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Mallett at Bourdon House Limited (1962-2007)

• Origin

  Tamil Nadu state, India

• Credit Line

  Purchase — funds provided by Rajinder K. Keith and Narinder K. Keith

• Type

  Jewelry and Ornament

• On View

  Freer Gallery 01: Body Image: Arts of the Indian Subcontinent

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

  There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

  The information presented on this website may be revised and updated at any time as ongoing research progresses or as otherwise warranted. Pending any such revisions and updates, information on this site may be incomplete or inaccurate or may contain typographical errors. Neither the Smithsonian nor its regents, officers, employees, or agents make any representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the information on the site. Use this site and the information provided on it subject to your own judgment. The National Museum of Asian Art welcomes information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.

Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1930s, 1860s

• Name

  Mallett at Bourdon House Limited

• Place

  Tamil Nadu state, India

• Topic

  South Asian and Himalayan Art, Gold, Art, Metal-work

• Culture

  Himalayan peoples, South Asians

• Object Type

  Ornaments, Jewelry

• On View

  Yes