Thewa‑Work Necklace

Gallery 329, Asian Art, third floor (Lahiri Gallery)

Main Building

Thewa‑Work Necklace

c. 1850

Artist/maker unknown, Indian

This necklace consists of five delicate pierced-gold plaques attached by links. It was made using a distinctive technique called thewa-work in which a gold-foil sheet with a pierced design is heat-fused to the surface of a sheet of colored glass. Another metal sheet is placed below the glass to reflect light. Traditional motifs include hunting scenes, flowers and foliage, and Hindu imagery (Shrinathji, Radha-Krishna, or Shiva). This technique is said to be practiced only by the men of a few related families near Pratapgarh. Thewa-work flourished during the nineteenth century when it was very popular among British residents and visitors to India; settings usually mirrored fashionable Victorian types.

Gallery 329, Asian Art, third floor (Lahiri Gallery)

Object Details

Title:

Thewa‑Work Necklace
Necklace

Date:

c. 1850

Artist:

Artist/maker unknown, Indian

Medium:

Gold with glass

Dimensions:

Length: 11 1/4 inches (28.5 cm)

Classification:

Jewelry

Credit Line:

Bequest of Mrs. Horace Howard Furness, 1930

Accession Number:

1930-2-1

Geography:

Made in Partabgarh, Rajasthan, India, Asia

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Gallery 329, Asian Art, third floor (Lahiri Gallery)

Main Building

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