Pot Holder (Indhoni)

Indhoni were used by Indian women to balance a pot of water on the top of their head to transport it. This piece could have been created and used by the nomadic Rabari people. While most were made for purely utilitarian reasons, decorative pot holders such as this one would be worn for special ceremonies and events. The cowrie shell is a sign of femininity and fertility, so it may have been created for a wedding.

The round donut-shaped cushion is wrapped in a burnt sienna cotton, and adorned with shells. Smaller strings of shells hang around the cushion and on the sides of the train of shells that hang off the back.