Pair of Nilgiri Earrings

A pair of gold earrings composed of various geometric elements, including spheres, circles, cones, arches and trefoils. The shapes are made of sheet metal, attached with solder and have flat, fairly polished surfaces. ?-1990 Mallett at Bourdon House Limited (J. S. Yorke), London, England, method of acquisition unknown [1] From 1990 Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from Mallett at Bourdon House Limited [2] Notes: [1] See Mallett at Bourdon House “Statement” to the Freer Gallery of Art, dated March 30, 1990, copy in object file. Object is listed under invoice number BH19378, originally issued on January 29, 1990. Mr. J. S. Yorke, the Director of Mallet at Bourdon House Limited, shipped the earrings to his friend Giles Hutchinson-Smith of Fleming and Meers, Antique Dealers, located at Hamilton Court, 1228 31st St NW in Washington, DC. See letter from J. S. Yorke, Director, Mallett at Bourdon House Limited, to Carol Bolon, Curator, dated January 4, 1990, copy in object file. Giles Hutchinson-Smith then hand delivered the earring to the Freer Gallery of Art on January 8, 1990. See letter from Bruce Young, Registrar, to J. S. Yorke, dated January 8, 1990, copy in object file. Mallett at Bourdon House Limited was a dealer in Mayfair neighborhood of London. Established in 1962, Mallett at Bourdon House was associated with Mallett & Son Antiques (1865-2017) in London. Mallett at Bourdon House specialized in antique furniture, fine art, and accessories from Europe; however, they also sold Chinese ceramics, Chinese and Japanese lacquer, and Indian jewelry. The business closed in 2007 and some of the remaining stock was sold at Sotheby’s in March 2007. [2] See Freer Gallery of Art “Acquisition Consideration Form,” approved on March 21, 1990, copy in object file. Research updated March 8, 2023 Freer Gallery of Art Collection Body Image (October 14, 2017 - ongoing) Gold: The Asian Touch (September 10, 2005 to February 20, 2006) South and South East Asian Art (May 9, 1993 to February 7, 2000) Mallett at Bourdon House Limited (1962-2007)