Made from silver, coral, turquoise, and glass, this intricate pendant ornament from present-day Uzbekistan is adorned with charms related to beauty and is believed to inspire fertility in its wearer. Jewelry worn by women from this area is an expression of status as well as a mode of protection from malevolent spirits or an amulet. Pieces are often made in silver, a metal related to femininity, the moon, and purity of spirit, and the coral, or mardjon, in this work strengthens the heart. This work would have been part of a much larger jewelry set.“Jewelry from Bukhara.” The Art Institute of Chicago, 7 Nov. 2018, https://www.artic.edu/articles/718/jewelry-from-bukhara.

Ornament