Necklace

Description

A necklace structured around a pair of silver plaques, joined by a chain and supporting a suspended field of multiple turquoise bead strands. The plaques form the upper anchors of the composition, establishing a fixed horizontal register from which the lower structure descends.

Each plaque is worked in repoussé and organised in descending registers: a domed upper section with figural and animal motifs, bands of lozenge elements, and a central medallion with floral pattern. Below, a further band of lozenge elements precedes the suspended strands, completing the transition from fixed element to mobile field.

From the lower edges, numerous strands of small turquoise beads are suspended in parallel, forming a dense, continuous field. The strands descend in a unified arc, creating a curved drape that concentrates weight at the centre.

The turquoise beads are uniform in scale and closely strung, producing a compact surface across the suspended section. The silver plaques introduce a contrasting structural register, separating the fixed upper elements from the flexible lower field. The strand system remains continuous, allowing the composition to read as a single continuous structure.

Context

Himalayan jewellery of this type is organised through the relationship between fixed metal elements and suspended bead fields. Structural emphasis rests on the upper plaques, while repetition and density within the bead strands determine the form and movement of the lower section.

Provenance

From the Felice Maffei Collection.

Acquired in Nepal, 1970.

Available on private enquiry.