Tayo (Bride’s necklace with almond-shaped pendant)

Datelate 19th to early 20th century

Label TextA tayo is a Nepalese necklace characterized by a hollow, lozenge-shaped pendant, this one shaded by a sacred multiheaded serpent. A Newari bride’s outfit often includes a tayo that has been passed down for generations. A tayo is also part of the regalia of the Kumari, a young girl in the Kathmandu Valley temporarily considered the living embodiment of the great Hindu goddess. Even sculpted goddesses may be adorned with a tayo for special worship.

Object number33.704

Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, A Bead Quiz, July 1, 2008 - July 1, 2009. Seattle, Washington, Seattle Asian Art Museum, Boundless: Stories of Asian Art, Feb. 8, 2020 - ongoing.

Credit LineEugene Fuller Memorial Collection

MediumGilded brass with turquoise, coral, rubies, pearl, rock crystal, jade, amethyst, rose quartz, velvet