Amulet pendant

Unknown artist

17th century or later (or with later modifications)

gold, inlaid with rubies and green enamel

Aga Khan Museum

A cylindrical gold amulet pendant is covered in a grid of faceted red gemstones and intricate blue and green enamelwork. A loop for suspension is attached to the top. Further Reading The gemstones have been set on this small object using a technique unique to India called kundan . In this technique, hyper-purified gold is beaten into strips of foil, which are pressed into place to surround the gemstones.[2] An especially adept gem setter has fashioned these stones into a kind of lattice pattern. The core, like many Mughal Indian works of jewellery or jewelled objects, was made of lac, a natural resin produced by an insect. The use of lac as a core in Mughal jewelled objects permits considerable savings in metal and also results in a resilience, heft and stability in objects that otherwise might b