Chains, linked beads, and scrolling ornament suggest growth through
repetition and, by extension, life and prosperity. In India, links
and chains have inspired a great deal of ingenuity. Here, for instance,
the individual coiled discs on a silver bracelet are not visibly
attached yet form a flexible ring. The tongues and loops on a gold
chain necklace from Tamil Nadu also seem to hang together organically.
Their joints invisible, they resemble a snake’s skin or a
fish’s scales.
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Round
and repoussé trefoil gold beads strung onto a fabric backing.
Karnataka; 19th century.
Pair
of gold chain bracelets Tamil Nadu; 18th-19th century.
Silver anklet Rajasthan or Gujurat; 19th or early 20th century.
Gold choker with wave links strung on fabric South India; 19th century.
Silver squared chain India; 19th century.
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