Nepalese Fluted-Gold Bead & Red Felt Disk Necklace (Kantha or Konda)

This spectacular necklace of multiple red-felt disks which are used as padded spacers between large, fluted beads covered in thin high-carat gold foil over natural pitch or resin, is known as a kantha or konda and was worn by ethnic groups of the middle hills areas of Nepal. The necklace includes gold conical terminals. The red felt spacers provide a wonderful contrast with the gold of the beads.

Such necklaces were extravagant displays of finery and wealth and were worn during mela festivals to demonstrate the family’s wealth.

See a similar example in Leurquin (2003, p. 262) and Gabriel (1999, p. 97).

This example here is in a fine, wearable condition. There are some areas of rubbing and minor loss to the gold foil at contact points on the beads as might be expected and which should be present to demonstrate age.