19th century

Shrinathji Pendant

This leaf‑shaped, scalloped pendant has two rings at top and one at the base, allowing it to be worn around the neck, or tied to the arm. Both sides are enameled. This side depicts Vishnupada, or Vishnu’s feet. On the reverse, inside a floral and bird border, the name of the deity Shrinathji (a form of Krishna) is inscribed in Devanagari (the script used for Sanskrit, the ancient holy language, as well as Hindi, the spoken language of this region). Nathdwara, the main pilgrimage center of Shrinathji worship, developed a strong industry of artists creating mementoes for pilgrims to the site.