Indian Plaque Amulet Depicting Lion

Smooth-maned beast with a looping tail sits low beneath a bull's-eye boss.

This plaque amulet depicting a lion is Hindu, from Rajasthan, India. It is coin silver. Plaque amulets are flat, usually pierced for a cord, and carry a single image in relief or engraving so that it can be worn close to the body. By outline, a small round pendant with a dotted border and a short loop above a ringed boss. The animal has a broad rounded head, a tucked body and an upright curling tail. The surface is a pale, even gray with gentle wear. It is 0.5 inches long and 0.75 high.

Neat, compact, and quietly self-assured.