Tourist Guide

Pair of Royal Earrings

Pair of Royal Earrings

Originated from Andhra Pradesh

Many past Indian jewelry have been melted down to avoid transmitting the karma of the former owner, and this pair of royal earrings is one of the few Indian jewelry that survived. The floral form of the earrings and the symbols embellished on them symbolizes royalty. The craftsmanship of the winged lion and elephant designs depicts that the earrings were probably worn by royal figures. The elephant and lion are delicately forged on the gold by granules and snippets of wire and sheet. Although they are a pair of earrings, the two earrings differ by their patterns of the fronds. One scene in history in which a figure wears earrings like this dates back to the first century B.C. A chakravartin, or the Universal King, from the stupa of Jagayapettya had the earrings hanging from his ear and resting on his shoulders due to the earrings’ heaviness.

In the photo above, one can see the lion intricately formed on the gold. The lion represents courage and strength, thus emphasizing the ruler’s power. Both the lion and the elephant were considered as royal protectors during that time.