MUGHAL INDIA, FIRST HALF 18TH CENTURY

Ornaments of this type are rare, many having been lost or damaged over time. Such an example would have likely adorned the tassels of a dagger or the belt of a nobleman's patka (sash). A similar example can be seen on a dagger illustrated in Oriental Jewellery from the Collection of the Special Treasury, The State Hermitage Department, 1984, no.111. It is also possible that it could have been worn as an extravagent embellishment to a lady's plaited ponytail.