Honolulu Museum of Art: Gold Belt
Gold Belt (Tamil: Oddiyanam)
India, Tamil Nadu, 19th century
Gold, diamonds, rubies, emeralds
Gift of Indru and Gulab Watumull in Celebration of their 50th Wedding Anniversary, 2003

"In the nineteenth century, the world saw a dramatic increase in the mining of gold and silver. This was followed by increased demand (particularly in India) for the use of gold, leading to a surge in the quality of artistry. The high level of skill to which goldsmiths and jewelers reached is clearly seen in this richly ornamented belt. Intended to be tightly worn around the waist, the rigid nature of the belt accentuates the size of the wearer's hips and makes her appear even more beautiful and feminine."

Nikon J3 camera, 1 Nikkor 18.5mm f/1.8 CX lens.
Aperture priority, s1/60, f/1.8, iso400, 18.5mm (fov 50mm), -0.33ev.
Cropped image, 1200x800, lens corrected, hand-held.