An impressive gem-set Crown made for the Nepalese Royal Family - India, 19th Century

the red cloth base decorated with metal thread, mounted with pearls and semi-precious stones set in gold, ornamentation forming floral patterns, with lines of green stones forming triangular panels, a number of mounted precious stone pendants around the rim, gems set in a floral mount forming the frontal decoration, a large separate Bird of Paradise feathered crescent plume issuing from the front  rnament - Estimate: £50,000 - 70,000

Note: This superb turban crown, with pearls and precious stones, is a fine example of its type. Although this piece was made for the Nepalese royal family, it was probably made in India, where skilled jewellers were more easily found than in Nepal. Indian Muslim rulers traditionally wore turban crowns as a symbol of their combined secular and religious leadership; a saying attributed to the Prophet Muhammad states that the turban represents 'the border between faith and unbelief.' For very similar items, see Sotheby's, Arts of the Islamic World, 15th October 1998, lot 140 and the Nasser D. Khalili Collection's Occidentalism (vol.XXIII), p.140, cat.79

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Bonhams. The Jacques Desenfans Collection, 10 Apr 2008. New Bond Street