Himalayan Indian Shell Arm Band or Bangle

This arm band made from a single slice of large cone or conus shell is from the Tibetan peoples of Lahaul (Lahul) and Spiti Districts in the north of India’s northern Himachal Pradesh state in the Himalayas.

The shell most probably was traded into the region from the Bay of Bengal, as a luxury, imported raw material.

It has the most splendid patina, with its contours softened from years of handling and being worn. A dating of 19th century has been assigned but it could be earlier.

Ornaments made from shells were prestige pieces – there were no local supplies and the shell components were brought to the mountainous region by traders. Their imported status meant that they were expensive and so were considered luxury goods by the wearers. The marine origins of shell components and the association with fish meant that items made from such components were associated with fertility and so were ideal items for women to wear.

Lahaul (Lahul) and Spiti Districts are small in terms of  population an even today have a combined population of slightly more than 30,000. The population is generally of Tibetan or related ancestry and the  majority ethnic group is the Sino-Tibetan Kinnaur people. Generally, the locals follow a combination of Hinduism and Tibetan Buddhism of the Drukpa Kagyu order, or Tibetan Buddhism of the Gelugpa order.

The arm band is in a fine, stable condition. It has obvious, significant age.

It has come from an old collection in Scotland, likely to have been put together by a colonial administrator serving in the region. (Scots were commonly involved in the colonial administration of India.)