Indian Bar Chain with Lotus Motifs and Open Peacock Hooks

A long brass chain that ends in a serpent’s question mark.

Indian metalworkers made this brass bar chain with lotus motifs and open peacock hooks in the 20th century. Chains of this type are commonly associated with hanging swings, lamps or platforms, where strength and ornament both count. The photographed end shows a single curved hook ending in a small bird’s head, with a ring above it. Lobed, bud-like and diamond-shaped beads alternate down the bar links. The brass has darkened to a deep, aged brown.

About ninety inches long. Hang it from a ceiling, or let it fall down a wall.