Indian Plaque Amulet Depicting Naga

A coiled serpent with its head held high, between two wavy companions.

This plaque amulet depicting Naga is Hindu, from Rajasthan, India, in coin silver. Nagas, the serpent deities of South Asian tradition, are widely associated with water, fertility and protection, and serpent amulets have long been worn in Rajasthan. The snake's body winds into a tight spiral at the center, rising to a small round head marked with dots. Two smaller wavy snakes flank it on either side. A twisted wire border runs around the teardrop plaque, with a flower cluster and finial at the top and a knob at the base. It is 1.75 inches long and 2.75 high.

Small, coiled, and keeping its own counsel.