This is a breast plate used in the Theyyam Ritual in Kerala.

Wearing such plates is part of the individual’s transformation into the deity. Such plates may be used by the performer to represent Bhagavati, Varahi, Bhadrakali and the Mother Goddess. From the plate alone, it is not possible to identify the Goddess.

Most of the breastplates we see are designed to cover the torso. If made of metal, they tend to be heavy (6+ kilograms) for people to wear in addition to other items and dance for hours. Such torso plates made of wood could be lighter.

The breastplates/torso plates seem to be very popular among interior decorators, and several are available commercially. To add to the excitement, the sculptors have started adding cobras to the shoulders. That enhances the exotic nature.

In this case, the breastplate covers only the breast. In addition, the casting is thin. One of my collector friends described it as ‘papadam ganam’, meaning it weighs as much as a papad. Hence, this is much lighter and would have been fixed to the body using the loops at the end

This design is rarer. The Kerala Folklore Museum has one among its exhibits.

This breast plate is 33 cm across, life-size. It looks to have been used, and it is a good sign. It may not be earlier than the nineteenth century.

For further reading, see this Theyyam link