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Love the akota pair.
I recently purchased a pair similar to the Nepali ones, but mine are enamelled. There are loops on the back, together with the plug. Any idea where these might be from?
I've seen photos of rings and bracelets from Laos that have enamelling in similar colours, and wondered if this pair might be from there.
Preethi, those are beautiful! I think they are probably from India, from Himachal Pradesh. There is a tradition of enameled work in Himachal that uses the colors on your earrings. Also, Himachal is an area with many cultural similarities to Nepal and Tibet. So it makes sense to see these pieces which mimic a Nepali design but created with a Himachali technique, specifically the enameling. The style of the reverse side, with the loops and the beaded wire around the posts is very typical of earrings made all over the northern parts of India, also, but somewhat different from what you see from Nepal.
Does anyone else have any ideas?
Thanks very much Nic! I'm really pleased to hear these could be from Himachal. I don't have any pieces from that part of India.
I'll start looking through my ref books. In the meantime, any idea what those loops in the back were used for?
The loops have a number of different uses. Sometimes, a pendant is attached to one of them, like jhumki. The other loop is sometimes attached to a chain which is worn fastened in the hair, or a chain or string over the top of the ear, to support the weight of the earrings.
Hi again Nic, thanks very much for the info. It took me a while to look for more info, and I found a very similar pair in the updated version of Thomas Holbein Handley's book on Indian jewellery. Waltraud Ganguly, in this book, says that these are worn by the gaddi herdsmen of Himachal Pradesh. Below is a photo from the book.
Hope you don't mind that I've sort of hijacked your post....