Forehead ornament

Rakhdi, forehead ornament. With image of peacock. Glass and minakari. Setting 22-carat gold, set with glass, finished with pure gold (kundan) ribbon and minakari (enamel). Purchased from the Dargar family, Bikaner. The rakhdi (or bor) is one of the types of jewelry worn by Indian women as a symbol of their marital status. After the wedding ceremony it is presented to her by the groom's family. The rakhdi is worn on the middle of the forehead.‖ Jewelry and ornament are traditionally seen in India as good luck ornaments related to the marriage of the woman. The absence of jewelry indicates widowhood or a formal rejection of worldly life. In addition to having a symbolic value, jewelry has an important function as a dowry (stridhan) for the woman. According to the Manusmriti, the oldest known Hindu treatise on social law, a woman's jewelry is part of her stridhan, her only legal and irrevocable possession. Jewellery is her only security for economically difficult times. She thus literally carries her wealth with her. Traditionally, irrespective of wealth, a dowry is given to each bride in the form of jewellery. This should at least include a pair of earrings, a necklace and a bracelet.‖ Rajasthan has a long tradition with forehead jewellery and apart from the rakhdi, there are several varieties. The sirmaang (maang literally means hair parting) is worn in the hair partition and usually consists of a single chain, usually set with precious gemstones. The mathapatti is a headband that runs between the two ears across the hairline. It may have a tika or sirmaang attached to it while a karnpul (an ear ornament in the form of a five-petalled flower) is often attached to it at the ears.Cit. Saskia Konniger, The Hidden Garden, Goldsmiths in North India, KIT Publishers, 2011, Cat.nr.14