Two South Indian Parayanthira Dancer’s Ornaments

This fine, curve torque is of well-cast bronze. The crescent moon element has been silvered. Both are from Kerala in India’s south, and were worn by Parayanthira ‘devil’ dancers.

Parayanthira is a traditional ritualistic folk dance from Kerala. Performed during festivals at Bhagavathi (Bhadrakali) temples, the dance re-enacts the victory over, and slaying of, the demon Darikasura by the goddess Bhagavathi of the divine mother cult. Dancers wear large headdresses and other ornaments. Male dancers take on female roles and to emphasise the female nature of their roles, wear feminine jewellery and conical ornaments to represent breasts.

Here, the torque is worn close to the neck.

The crescent moon element would be attached to the large headdress and worn above the dancer’s head.

See Untracht, 1997, p. 201, to see how such items were worn.

Both has good signs of age and exhibit pleasing sculptural qualities.