Amulet Pendant (Ükiayaq)

Description

Author: Folk Master
Representing 19th-century Northern Kazakhstan jewelry art, the upper tier of this piece is surmounted by a triangular plaque featuring a large, round clear-glass inset, flanked symmetrically by two articulated pendants of coral beads and coins. Encased beneath the plaque are eagle-owl talons in silver mounts embellished with turquoise insets. Radiating from the central arched element is a fan-like cascade of five coral-adorned pendants and six chains featuring round red-glass settings. The eagle-owl talons served an apotropaic function, coral symbolized fertility, and turquoise represented prosperity and well-being. This ornament was traditionally attached to chest decorations, headdresses, or the wedding attire of a young woman.