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Necklace Bead in the Form of a Fish
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
Jewelry in ancient India often consisted of elements associated with water, such as fish and other aquatic plants and animals. Since water is essential for life, imagery that connotes water is life-affirming, or auspicious, and therefore appropriate adornment.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineNecklace Bead in the Form of a Fish, 185–72 BCE. India, Shunga period (185–78 BCE). Gold repoussé with granulation. The Cleveland Museum of Art, John L. Severance Fund, 1973.39.k
