A GOLD REPOUSSÉ ‘LION’ PENDANT, WITH AN AGATE INTAGLIO OF A HINDU GODDESS, CHAM PERIOD
Vietnam, former kingdoms of Champa, circa 10th century. The rounded pendant is finely chased, embossed, and incised to depict two anthropomorphized lions flanking a central lotus flower and an agate intaglio depicting a female Hindu deity surrounded by foliate designs, all below two inlaid amethyst cabochons, all enclosed by a scroll border. The reverse with two flattened gold wire loops for suspension.


Provenance:
Ex-Collection of The Zelnik István Southeast Asian Gold Museum. Institutional art collection in Belgium, acquired from the above. Dr. István Zelnik, President of the Hungarian South and Southeast Asian Research Institute, is a former high-ranking Hungarian diplomat who spent several decades in Southeast Asia, building the largest known private collection of Asian art in Europe.

Condition:
Very good condition, commensurate with age, with some wear, small manufacturing irregularities, light tarnishing, and encrustations, all as to be expected for a gold object more than a thousand years old.

Weight: 21.2 g
Dimensions: Length 9.8 cm