Context (CMS Context)
Collected by: Poole.Miss.Emily
Event Date 22/3/1995
Author: maa

Description (CMS Description)
Flexible silver fish ornament.
Event Date 22/3/1995
Author: maa

Context (CMS Context)
Catalogue card for 1927.904 reads:
'FLEXIBLE SILVER FISH, made by silversmiths (Hindus) / of Pithoria village, 13 miles North of Ranchi, Chota Nagpur. / Bought for W. R. by Miss Emily Poole. / Extract from letter to Sir E. A. Gait, from Rai Bahadur Sarat Chandra Roy, Ranchi, 2nd May 1920, which is in my Indian / amulet box:- / 'The flexible silver fish made at Pithoria has no religious / or magic use whatsoever. It is used generally for ornament, / or rather adornment, & sometimes as a receptacle for attar / (essence). The brass ones do not appear to have any magical / or religious use. Fish is an auspicious omen with orthodox / Hindus: & at Calcutta I once saw a big live fish kept at the / gate as a good omen when a certain big Raja (U.P. or Rajputana) / was going out of his house in Camac St. for a drive. He goes on / to say that "the auspicious-ness attached to the fish may have led to the / Bahadev of Darbhanga, & some legend of help received from the / fish may have subsequently been invented to account for the / device (as is often done). The Darbhanga family are genuine / (Aryan) Brahmans, & must have got their gotia name from / some Rishi." '
Event Date 18/5/2016
Author: Olivia Maguire