G. Paulding Farnham was Tiffany & Co.’s chief designer and director of jewelry. He was celebrated for his orchid brooches, exhibited at the Paris exposition in 1889, and went on to be known for his eclectic design influences. This hand ornament, worn on the back of the hand and held in place by four finger rings and a bracelet, was designed after an Indian hathpal—meaning flower for the hand. Farnham studied with Edward C. Moore, who in the late 19th century had one of the country’s largest collections of Islamic and Hindu art. Moore trained Farnham to look at museum collections and directly at nature for his ideas and the details of his designs. At Tiffany, Farnham had access to an extensive library that included works on Indian art and jewelry. The colored gemstones were likely sourced in the U.S. by the firm’s celebrated gemologist George Frederick Kunz.