A gilt-copper mounted elephant head ornament (nettipattam)
South India, 20th Century
of tapering form, the quilted cotton ground decorated with applied gilt-copper crescent and circle elements with a central lobed element, the interstices with smaller elements, the crescent with pendent chains of palmette and circle motifs, a fringe of gilt copper bell-shaped elements with polychrome tassels
184 x 91 cm. including tassels
Footnotes:
Provenance
Distinguished European collection, acquired from Rossi & Rossi, London, in 2002.

Nettipattam is an ornament used in Kerala to adorn the forehead of temple elephants during festivals. According to tradition, Brahma was the first divinity to create a forehead embellishment for Indra's white war elephant, Airavata. The large circular elements represent different deities, whilst the lobed central element represents the trinity, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. The crescents represent the nine heavenly bodies whilst the ground of small circular elements represents the stars.

For another example, see Sotheby's, Islamic and Indian Art, Oriental Manuscripts and Miniatures, 22nd-23rd October 1992, lot 428.