"PAMPADAN" EAR ORNAMENTS, INDIA
PAIO DI ORECCHINI ETNICI INDIANI "PAMPADAN"
in lamina d'oro martellata su nuclei in lacca, con la tipica forma geometrica i cui elementi richiamano la testa di un cobra, dim. cm 4,5x5x4 circa, gr. 63 complessivi
"Pampadan" ornaments are traditional South Indian earrings; worn only by women found in Tamil Nadu. Pampadans are made up of spheres and squares. The various pieces are welded together to form an abstract arrangement. Wearing rings in the ears, added gradually to increase the length of the lobes, represents a very ancient practice among the population of South India. Traditionally, it was a sign of nobility and respectability for high-caste women to wear earrings on their elongated earlobes. However, although this custom is disappearing, today in Southeast Asia some tribal societies still wear similar earrings.