This Nepalese wedding necklace is from a collection of ten personal and ceremonial objects from Tibet, Nepal, Fiji and southern Africa that was assembled over many years of travelling by the donor and her husband.

The necklace is a fine example of the kind traditionally presented to a Nepalese bride on her wedding day. After the wedding the necklace is worn to indicate to society that the wearer is a married woman. The necklace is a symbolic offering of prosperity and fertility to the bride and groom and may be given to the bride by the groom or by her family. The groom places the necklace around the neck of the bride, a practice which symbolises her wish and prayer for his long life. As a result, when the husband dies the wife ceases to wear the necklace. Another form of Nepalese wedding necklace is the tilhari, which always consists of seven large silver or gold beads strung onto a metal or wooden rod with multiple strands of blue or red glass beads.

The disparate pendants on the necklace appear to comprise a collection of precious objects or tokens that would probably have symbolic or nostalgic significance to the bridal couple and their families. They include semi-precious stones, seeds, shells, coral, coins and ivory and are all mounted in a silver casing with a ring for threading on the strong cord that forms the basis of the necklace.

The pendants on the necklace appear to be a disparate collection of precious objects that would probably have symbolic or nostalgic significance to the bridal couple and their families. They include semi-precious stones, seeds, shells, coral and ivory and may represent a wish for prosperity and fertility for the bride and groom. The pendants are all mounted in a silver casing with a ring for threading on a strong cord that forms the basis of the necklace. The Burgundy velvet covering has a row of eyelets through which the cord exits to pass through the ring of each pendant and is hand stitched over the cord along its length.

This wedding necklace from Nepal is from a collection of personal and ceremonial objects from Tibet, Nepal, Fiji and southern Africa that was assembled over many years of travelling by the donor and her husband. The collection also includes an earring and carrying case, dagger, snuff horn, skull cup and travelling shrine from Tibet; wedding necklace and puppet from Nepal; sperm whale tooth neck ornament from Fiji; and two beaded neck ornaments from the Kalahari Bushmen of southern Africa.

This is a fine example of the jewellery traditionally presented to a Nepalese bride on her wedding day. After the wedding the necklace is worn to indicate to society that the wearer is a married woman. The necklace is a symbolic offering of prosperity to the bride and groom and may be given to the bride by the groom or by her family. The groom places the necklace around the neck of the bride, a practice which symbolises her wish and prayer for his long life. As a result, when the husband dies the wife ceases to wear the necklace.

Wedding necklace (hara), velvet / cord / silver / ivory / shell / coral / glass / nuts / stone / coins / tokens, maker unknown, Nepal, c. 1900

This type of Nepalese necklace is known as a hara and is composed of a Burgundy velvet covered cord from which are suspended a very wide range of pendants. These include carved ivory, animal teeth, shells, nuts, coloured glass, semi-precious stones, coins and tokens. The base of each pendant is encased in a silver mount with a ring. A loop of the cord exits from the velvet through a series of eyelets and passes through the ring of each pendant. The cord ties at the back of the neck.

Made: Nepal; 1895 - 1905

No marks.

2006/21/7

1895 - 1905