Naga ring

Object Details

• Description

  Exquisitely fashioned from 22 carat gold, the ring takes the shape of a coiled naga. The tip of its tail coils close beside the band, and the body spirals around the finger, culminating in a powerful face with bulging eyes, upturned snout, and mouth with fanged teeth and extended tongue. The serpent’s scales are individually articulated along the full surface. Left intentionally loose by the artisan, the tongue moves in and out, simulating a living creature.

• Collection

  National Museum of Asian Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  The Art of Knowing in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Himalayas (March 25, 2023 - ongoing)

  Power in Southeast Asia (October 14, 2017 to March 13, 2020)

• Origin

  Rattanakosin, Thailand

• Credit Line

  Purchase — funds provided by the Friends of the Freer and Sackler Galleries

• Type

  Jewelry and Ornament

• On View

  Sackler Gallery 22a: The Art of Knowing in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Himalayas

• 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.

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1800s, 1890s

• Place

  Rattanakosin, Thailand

• Topic

  Art, Southeast Asian Art, Bangkok period (1782 - 1932 ), Dragon

• Culture

  Southeast Asians

• Object Type

  Ornaments, Jewelry

• On View

  Yes