1″ x 1.5″, glass and found objects
After the British conquered India, Hyderabad remained an independent princely state. It wasn’t until 1948 that Hyderabad became part of India. Walking through the streets of the bazaar that surrounds the now empty Chowmahalla palace, the colors and sequins and beads and sounds are brilliant and somewhat overwhelming. The stalls of glittery border ribbon and clothes call your attention, but among the stalls was a man quietly selling old coins, including this coin from the Hyderabadi princely state. In this pendant the coin and its history are central to design, lending a color scheme and guiding the form, but the glitter and gleam of the beads that surround it threaten to overwhelm it. Like looking for the older history amidst the hustle and bustle and color of present-day Hyderabad, you have to look closely.
