Indian Plaque Amulet Depicting Diety with Bow & Arrow

Three rings of punched stars close in around a tiny shrine, and the figure inside holds a bow.

This plaque amulet depicting a deity with bow and arrow is Hindu, from Rajasthan, India, in coin silver. Rajasthani silver amulets of this kind usually frame a deity in a small shrine-shaped niche and are commonly worn on a cord for protection. The plaque is house-shaped, with a peaked top and straight sides, and its surface is stamped with nested rows of tiny star punches. At the center, an arched niche holds a standing figure with a tall crown, bow in hand, above a short inscribed band. A ridged bale with a flowered collar rises above. It is 1.75 inches long and 2.25 high.

The punch work alone suggests a very patient afternoon.