‘The Raj Collection’: Shikra Pendant by Decimononic

Our Raj Collection continues to grow and evolve. Sometimes our point of departure is a concrete idea, sometimes the final concept is not the one we had in the beginning. In some way this is the case with the Shikra Pendant, a handmade reversible pendant. The combination of an authentic Elgin pocket watch movement plus one sterling silver hoop with claws and double-ring bail offers as final result an inspiring British India Steampunk pendant. Maybe you are wondering… why British India? Let’s try to give an explanation.

We did not think about the Shikra Pendant as a piece of the Raj Collection until we realized that its silver claws were like the birds of prey’s talons. In this moment we could not help but remember the Shikra (Accipiter badius).

Quoting Wikipedia:

The Shikra was a favourite among falconers in India and Pakistan due to the ease with it could be trained and was frequently used to procure food for the more prized falcons. They were noted for their pluck and ability to take much larger birds including partrigdes, crows and even young peafowl.The word shikra or shikara means hunter in the Hindi language (the male was called chipak or chipka based on call) and was used in the French name Le Chicquera which was however given to the Red-necked Falcon by Levaillant in 1799.

The call is pee-wee, the first note being higher and the second being longer. In flight the calls are shorter and sharper kik-ki … kik-ki. The Shikra is a small raptor (26–30 cm long) and like most other Accipiter hawks, this species has short rounded wings and a narrow and somewhat long tail.The flight is typical with flaps and glides. The Shikra is found in a range of habitats including forests, farmland and urban areas. They are usually seen singly or in pairs.

So this is the story behind the name of this jewel, hope you have found it interesting.