Linnaeus Tripe (1822-1902) documented much of south India as official photographer to the Madras government (1856-1860). His album Photographs of Madura: Part III contains fifteen images of the Great Pagoda of Madura, a famous and celebrated piece of architecture. This photograph is the only one in the album that documents a close-up still-life subject rather than architectural features. Tripe has used velvet as a dark backdrop, and carefully captured the details in the jewels and the creases in the fabric underneath. The text published with the photograph explains, 'The uses of these [jewels] are to adorn the idols or their Vahanams on festival occasions'.
