Cleveland Museum of Art

Pendants

Date

1800s

Medium

Gilt silver with diamonds, emeralds, rubies, pearls, and enamel

Culture

India, Delhi

Department

Indian and Southeast Asian Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

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

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