Poothali

Poothali joins two Malayalam words — poo (flower) and thali (pendant). A Poothali is a floral pendant, traditionally worn on a black-thread chain, that sits close to the throat. The flower at the centre varies — sometimes a stylised lotus, sometimes a five-petalled jasmine, sometimes the closed bud of a tamarind flower.

The Poothali is the working ornament of the Kerala homemaker. It is worn daily — to the temple, at the rice harvest, on the journey to a relative's home for Onam. It is not a wedding piece, though many brides receive one as part of their dowry. It is a piece worn through a life.

The flower is hand-stamped from a sheet of gold using a die — many traditional Kerala goldsmiths inherited their flower-dies from their fathers. The petals are then chased — pressed from the back with a curved tool — to give the flower depth. A small stone or pearl is sometimes set at the centre. The pendant is strung on a fine gold chain or a traditional black thread.

The Poothali pairs with the working day. Many older Kerala women wear nothing but a Poothali and a pair of small gold studs through the entire week, reserving heavier pieces for festivals. It is a piece of comfort, of habit, of the quiet sustained life.