A PAIR OF CHAM GOLD REPOUSSE 'NANDI' EARRINGS
Cham kingdom, 10th to 12th century. Depicting Nandi surrounded by tendrils, the upper half inset with three gemstones, and a hook for suspension.

Condition: Very good condition, soil encrustations, dents and minor bending.
Provenance: The collection of The Zelnik Istvan Southeast Asian Gold Museum. Institutional art collection in Belgium, acquired from the above. Dr. Istvan Zelnik, President of the Hungarian South and Southeast Asian Research Institute, is a former high-ranking Hungarian diplomat who spent several decades in Southeast Asia, building the largest known private collection of Asian art in Europe.

Weight: 8.1 g and 8 g
Dimensions: Height 6.7 cm and 6.9 cm

Nandi, the white bull of Shiva is a popular motif on Cham jewelry. He was known for his generative power and is usually depicted as a humped bull reclining peacefully near Shiva or alone, decorated with a string of bells around his neck.