The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 25, 2024

Pendants

Pendants

1800s
Gilt silver with diamonds, emeralds, rubies, pearls, and enamel
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Wade 1916.280
Location: not on view

Did You Know?

The fish are crystal on one side and emerald on the other.

Description

Worn either as earrings or pendants from a crown, these double-sided, symmetrical jeweled assemblages each feature a fish as the central ornament. The pair of fish is one of a set of eight auspicious symbols known in Indian art for more than two millennia. As creatures of the waters that are essential for life, they betoken fertility and abundance—attributes of an ideal ruler.
  • ?–1916
    Mr. Jeptha Homer Wade II [1857–1926] and Mrs. Ellen Garretson Wade [1859–1917], Cleveland, OH, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    1916–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Raja Deen Dayal: The King of Indian Photographers. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (April 23, 2023-February 4, 2024).
    Exhibition of the Month: Indian Miniatures. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (July 15-September 28, 1952).
    Exhibition of the Month: Jewelry of India. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (April 1-June 2, 1947).
  • {{cite web|title=Pendants|url=false|author=|year=1800s|access-date=25 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1916.280