GJPaw Auctions is very pleased to offer a beautifully ornate vintage five-pointed Crown, which is a traditional form of adornment worn by women of the Ladakh region in India. The people of Ladakh live in very high mountain valleys between the Himalaya and Karakoram ranges in the northern Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. Ladakh is divided into the primarily Muslim district of Kargil and the primarily Buddhist district of Leh. In the traditional Ladakh belief system, jewels propitiated deities symbolically, and typically provided abstract representations of the Buddha. All forms of adornment thus had important symbolic and ritual significance. Ladakh is a matriarchal society, and heavily ornamented costumes traditionally signified the wealth of the mother, which was passed along to her daughter when she married and left home. In central Ladakh, a traditional bride was outfitted in white bangles, arm cuffs, amber jewelry, conch shells, a brocaded cape, embroidered shoes, silver thigh ornaments, and the headdress draped over her body. Various types of headdresses are used throughout Ladakh; most are typically put together from pieces of dark fabric or leather, on which long rows of turquoise are stitched. The turquoise stones, trade items formerly gotten from sources in China, Tibet, and the Khotan area of Central Asia, are now obtained from markets in India. This gorgeous five-pointed crown is lined and richly decorated with turquoise, coral, agate, mother of pearl, glass beads, silver, silk and carnelian. It measures 10 inches in diameter by 25 inches inches high (25.4 cm by 63.5 cm), including the specially designed, hand-made, iron, museum display stand. The crown shows wear consistent with use, but overall is in excellent condition. Guaranteed authentic, it forms part of an important collection of Indian and Central Asian art and adornment. It is similar in many respects to other Ladakh sold by well known auction houses and command high prices. See Christie’s auction record below:)

GJPaw Auctions has been in the Art business for over 25 years and is now expanding its operation to eBay.  Our goal is to bring the same experience and excitement of collecting that we have been delivering in-person to collectors across the globe at Primitive in Chicago.  Every object we sell online has been carefully hand-selected with special attention to detail, quality, and significance. We ship worldwide. Add GJPaw to Sellers you Follow and please take a moment to look at our other auction items.

A1600-193