The Tamang live in Nepal, in the valleys of the southern slopes of the Himalayas, north of the central Kathmandu valley. Ear discs, such as these, count towards the rich ornamentation culture of the women of the Tamang, Magar and others. The present pair of Nepalese ‘ear discs’ are unusually large and have been carefully crafted from gold sheet. In accordance with the traditional shape, an inwardly chamfered gold rim acts as protection for each of the discs and for their elaborate decorations (1.2 cm wide on both sides). Fine symbols cover the flat inner gold discs: around a circular opening above (designed for the hanging of the jewel) is a round sun disc, whence steam downwards wide stripes symbolising the sunbeams. Left and right of the ‘sun’ two stars can be made out and a thin moon crescent lies across the beams. Blooming, leafy tendrils spring to the two sides from the sun-disc. In the middle of each flower is embedded a polished red ruby, and above each crescent moon — a cut green emerald. The gold ‘ear discs’ are worn as follows: the woman’s earlobes are pierced and stretched (and to prevent injuries, they are also bound in thin stripes of fabric). Then, using the slit, the earlobes are brought sideways into the round opening at the top and the gold discs are left to hang. A thin string is threaded through the two eyelets on the upper rim of each ear disc and is drawn over the respective ear to support the gold discs while they are being worn. Altogether, a magnificent pair of typical Nepalese tribal ornamentation. One of the eyelets on one of the ear discs is missing (broken). No other damage. Diameter: c. 10.5 cm; Weight: c. 60g. First half of the 20th century. (ME)

Provenance: Austrian Private Collection.

additional image:
NEPAL: Women from the tribe of the Magar, with large, golden “ear discs.”
Photo from: “Jewelry of Nepal” by Hannelore Gabriel