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Pair of Deity Earrings with Vishnu on Garuda (front) and chepu (monster mask) (back)

1600s or 1700s

The Cleveland Museum of Art

The Cleveland Museum of Art
Cleveland, United States

A green Vishnu with four arms, each holding his attributes of discus (his upper right hand), mace (upper left), lotus (lower right), and conch (in pearl, lower left) rides on a coral Garuda with lapis wings, arms outstretched. The blue figures on either side are probably celestial beings praising him in dance postures, with one leg crossed over the other. On the back sides, delicate filigree floral scrolls form the backdrop of a protective mask popular in the Nepal; a sun over a crescent moon are inlaid above his head.

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  • Title: Pair of Deity Earrings with Vishnu on Garuda (front) and chepu (monster mask) (back)
  • Date Created: 1600s or 1700s
  • Physical Dimensions: Overall: 9.5 x 6.9 cm (3 3/4 x 2 11/16 in.)
  • Provenance: Mr. Jeptha Homer Wade II [1857–1926] and Mrs. Ellen Garretson Wade [1859–1917], Cleveland, OH, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art, The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Type: Jewelry
  • Rights: CC0
  • External Link: https://clevelandart.org/art/1915.338
  • Medium: Gold set with precious and semi-precious stones
  • Fun Fact: These larger-than-life earrings would hang on a deity statue in a Nepalese temple, rather than worn by a person.
  • Department: Indian and Southeast Asian Art
  • Culture: Nepal, Kathmandu Valley
  • Credit Line: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Wade
  • Collection: Nepalese Art
  • Accession Number: 1915.338
The Cleveland Museum of Art

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