Home › Amulets: Ancient, Medieval, and Oriental › Amulets: Ancient, Medieval, and Oriental: Vishnu

Amulets: Ancient, Medieval, and Oriental: Vishnu

The footprints are explained by a curious legend to the effect that when a dispute as to superiority arose between the gods of the Trimurti, Brahma, Siva and Vishnu, the selection of a test to decide this was left to Bhrigu, one of the ten patriarchs. He approached Brahma without saluting him; this infuriated the god, but he restrained himself. Approaching Siva in turn, Bhrigu failed to return the god's salutation, which so enraged him that he raised his trident to slay the insulter, and was only prevented from doing this by the timely intervention of the goddess Parvati. Nothing daunted Bhrigu pursued his test, and, finding Vishnu reposing with his head in Lakshmi's lap, he kicked the divinity to arouse him. Vishnu, however, instead of losing his temper, quietly arose; saluted the rash patriarch, and even thanked him for the reminder, and craved his pardon that he had not immediately greeted him, asserting that the kick (which must have been most vigorously administered if it left two footprints) had left on his breast a mark of good augury. A fine presentation of the style of jewels worn by the Maharani of Sikkim, a full-blooded Tibetan by birth, is offered by a portrait of this queen done in oil by Damodar Dutt, a Bengali artist, in 1908, while the Maharani was sharing the captivity of her husband at Darjeeling, where they had been sequestrated by the British authorities for many years. The elaborate and rather oppressive headdress is a typical adornment of the queens of Sikkim; the broad bandeaux are composed of pearls, and a brilliant color effect is produced by the rows of alternating corals and turquoises. The gold ear-rings have a turquoise-inlay, in concentric rings, and from the queen's neck hangs a long necklace of coral beads, separated at intervals by large spheres of amber; a coral bracelet and two rings, with coral and turquoise setting respectively, complete the very effective, if not especially costly, jewelry. Jade girdle pendants having a talismanic quality were in great favor during the period of the Chou dynasty (1122-249 B.C.). The typical girdle pendant of that time was a seven-jewelled one, each of the combined ornaments being made of some one of the choice varieties of jade. These adornments consisted of a top-piece or brooch, whence depended a circular central plaque (yu), flanked by two square ornaments (ku); below followed a centre-ornament of segment form, on either side of which was a bow-shaped jewel. The girdle ornaments were rich in symbolic significance, the rhythmic swinging of the jades caused a musical note whenever they came in contact with one another, or with any metallic object; as love-trinkets they had the most fortunate meaning; as indications of office they gained consideration and respect for the wearers of high rank, while for those of less distinction they were so differentiated as to become marks of the respective craft or vocation. In Siam the girls' heads are shaved, with the exception of the top of the head, where a knot of hair is allowed to grow. On the fourteenth anniversary of the girl's birthday this "top-knot" is cut off, the operation being accompanied by a solemn religious ceremony, to mark and consecrate the event, which denotes the passing of the girl into womanhood. On this occasion, the members of the family gather together all the jewels they can secure for the adornment of the "new woman," and where they are not wealthy enough to provide brilliant and rich ornaments from their own possessions kind friends will always be found ready to supply the deficiency. In the case of the Siamese girl figured in our plate, and of a girl companion, the Queen of Siam herself acted as fairy godmother to the extent of furnishing from her own private treasures a costly and suitable decoration. The gems and ornaments worn were worth $20,000 and are said to have filled a small steamer-trunk. In a favorite form of white jade amulet, the stone is cut flat and is then inlaid with rubies in gold settings, so disposed as to indicate a flower-form. Jade amulets of this type are found in China and in various parts of northern Asia, and are believed to guard or free the wearer from palpitation of the heart.

Flowers fashioned from precious stones make most attractive ornaments, and by their variety of coloring can be worn with almost any costume. A celebrated beauty of London society has a number of pansies of different colors, one made of rubies, another of sapphires, still another of emeralds, and so on through the range of colors. In this way she always had a pansy according in color with that of her gown. As bridal gifts these jewel-flowers are most appropriate, more especially when the lady-love bears a "floral name" such as Violet or Rose.