INTRODUCTION
A seven strand pearl necklace, increasing in length consecutively is made with pearls and pendants. A fine example of Mughal jewellery, the Satlada was often used to index the social and economic status of the family.
INTRODUCTION
A seven strand pearl necklace, increasing in length consecutively is made with pearls and pendants. A fine example of Mughal jewellery, the Satlada was often used to index the social and economic status of the family.
ETYMOLOGY
"The necklace's name, which, is contingent on the number of strands, can be broken into two halves. The first half refers to the number of layers or strands each necklace is made of, the second is 'Lada', which means 'strand', i.e., Teenlada (3 strands) / Panchlada (5 strands) / Satlada (7 strands) "
DESIGN
The Satlada has been known to include 465 pearls, as one owned by the Nizams of Hyderabad, but most modern versions have any number with diamonds and other gemstones. Each strand is an independent necklace with its own pendant.
MATERIAL
The Satlada is made up of silver, pearl, gold and precious gems. Each independent strand of the necklace is often skirted by Basra pearls.
ROYALTY
The Satlada is one of the finest examples of Mughal jewellery.
SIGNIFICANCE
The Satlada was the royal marriage jewellery of medieval times, originally made for the royal Mughal and Nawabi families of the Deccan.
WORN BY
As a symbol of nobility, it is an elaborate necklace that displays family wealth and prestige. This necklace indexes the social and economic status of the bride and the groom’s matrimony and was earlier typically gifted by the mother-in-law at the wedding ceremony.
QUOTES
"I have a teenlada with about 90 panddi's (a leaf shape). A jeweller brought me these in a white silk potli. Back then, it cost me about two thousand rupees - which was a big sum."
- Rita Vakil