Indian Silver Bracelet

A crescent of silver with a snout at each end.

This silver bracelet comes from Himachal Pradesh, India. Silver cuffs with animal-head terminals are often worn in the Himalayan region as ornament and, in some communities, as protection. The thick, rounded band curves in a horseshoe shape and ends in two heavy cast heads. Each has oversized eyes, a blunt muzzle and incised scales or whiskers. The metal is a soft gray-white, with light darkening in the recesses and fine wear along the outer curve.

About 3 inches across. Solid and a little menacing in exactly the right proportion.